Karel Dicker’s work is a meditative process of accepting the changes the world puts us through, by dealing with its constant flux. His shapes are never fixed and even square objects lose their stability in favor of dynamism.
There is never a corner in his paintings, and therefore no conclusion – not even in his frames, that he creates by himself. While painting is for the artist a meditative act, the creation of frames becomes a way to tackle reality and gain a more physical and rough impact on it.
His approach is based on intuition as a means of processing things, and his illustrated and fragmented diary becomes an integral part of this. By focusing on the simplest objects, he reconnects us with the power of the easiest yet most powerful things in life, and he helps us face them with a new approach.
The title Grow becomes in this sense the perfect key to read his practice, and to reconnect with the messy and unique processes of growing up ourselves.
Maud Paul creates with her drawings imaginary landscapes as well, telling us about non-existing moments that feel nonetheless rooted in reality. Her landscapes don’t actually exist but are based on real fragments of her life.
Her work deals powerfully with the simple yet incredibly complicated act of living, and deals with our anxieties by creating moments of peace. She focuses on the simplest things as well, this time using these interiors and outdoor spaces to create a dreamy way out.
As Dicker's work extends outside of the painting through the creation of his wooden canvases, she also exits from her frames by designing furniture. It is a way to project the house outside of the fixed limits of her sketches, to make it real again, and to be able to use it.
Her objects are not only that, they also become characters, living creatures with names and stories of their own. The contrast between their materials also creates a shift and a powerful connection between the inner and outer conflicts we often face in life.
