I Could Do That

I Could Do That, Exhibition Private view, 15 02 2026

As a part of a group exhibition from the third year fine art students at the Cambridge School of Art titled I Could Do That I had decided to present a series of charcoal drawings arranged in a corner of the Ruskin Gallery.

Depictions of People we Forgot, Ruskin Gallery Cambridge, 17 02 2026

The Drawings showcase empty silhouetted figures in natural environments. As suggested by the title, these were inspired by the countless people and cultures who are lost to time. The Figures all perform human activities and they all exist in an equal and natural space, the only thing that is missing is their identities.

This project aims to tackle the theme of Absence (which is one side of the dual practice I have chosen to explore). It does not matter if the figures are representations of lost histories to the audience, so long as the general feeling of emptiness is communicated.

During a group evaluation of the work, a peer on the course had pointed out to me that there were eighteen pieces that were plotted on a grid of twenty-four. To them this appeared to represent a fading memory, that each individual piece was an hour of the day and they were blinking away and would slowly disappear. Although this is a very interesting view of my work it was not what I intended, there were originally more works and the idea was their arrangement would fit the space they took. The way they were presented at the Gallery was simply what was best for time and the place. In another world these could fill an entire room, I want them to feel like liquid- always filling the space in their container.

Overall, I would consider this piece resolved- but not necessarily finished. I know exactly what works with this and I know why it works, as for the future I would not consider it unreasonable for me to fit these into a different space, a bigger one. But that will have to happen when it happens.