Fragments II 

17.06.26 - 23.06.26

An exhibition of paintings by Esmeé Van Giap and mosaics by Catherine Van Giap. 

This exhibition brings together recent works by the two artists, presented side by side in a visual dialogue that highlights both contrast and harmony, while celebrating the expressive power of their materials.

Here, fragments refers not to something broken or incomplete, but to moments, forms, and material gestures that invite close attention, encouraging audiences to slow down and engage with the physical and conceptual qualities of the work.

Colour plays an integral role throughout the exhibition, expressed in different mediums - from deep rich oil paint in expressive marks to precise curves and blocks of iridescent and opaque glass. Both artists are placing colours together with consideration of the composition, in a way that is both careful and subtle, yet bold and experimental.

Ultimately, this exhibition presents two bodies of work created over the past year, bringing together paint and glass through the practices of contemporary artists who continue to push their work forward while reflecting on the inherent qualities of their materials.

Freshwater Mosaics
Catherine Van Giap

“Freshwater Mosaics is a contemporary practice centred on light and reflection, using evolving forms to shape how light is held, redirected, and experienced over time.”

The practice investigates how reflective materials shape perception as light shifts, fragments, and moves across a surface.

The work is informed by the mosaic traditions of Ravenna, Italy, particularly their understanding of light as an active presence within material, whilst remaining rooted in contemporary abstraction. Materials are selected for how they receive, hold, and redirect light. Coloured mirror glass, irridised glass, and gold are selected for their reflective behaviour rather than fixed symbolic roles.

Individual series function as focused chapters within this broader enquiry. Themes and motifs emerge, develop, and recede over time as part of the working process. In the current series, in Luce Aurea, the dove is used as an abstract expression within contemporary form, serving as one vehicle through which light, balance, and movement are explored. Other series have engaged different natural forms, including leaves, birds, and fish, each offering a distinct way of working with movement and reflection.

Across the practice, structure and irregularity are held in deliberate tension. Precision is balanced with material response, allowing surfaces to retain a sense of vitality and openness. Light and reflection remain the constant, shaping how the work is experienced over time and anchoring an evolving practice that remains materially grounded and visually direct.

Paintings by Esmeé Van Giap 

Esmeé Van Giap (b. 2001) is a painter who graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2023 with a BA in Painting. Working in oils and acrylic, their practice centres on figurative explorations of ethereal and divine feminine forms. Often conveying intimate dynamics and suggesting ambiguous narratives widely informed by spiritual and religious contexts.

The figures exist in a space where bold brushstrokes and aggressive movements are held in tension with delicate portrayals of hushed yet enticing beings. The paintings are created using a compositional approach in which the figures gradually emerge from the canvas through the layering of oil and acrylic paint. While working on the figurative forms and the surrounding spaces simultaneously, colour is used intentionally across the canvas to bind the figures to their landscape.

The repeated use of motifs and symbols are essential in attempting to discover new personal meaning and explore subliminal messages in painting. They also allow for the paintings to feed into one another, forming threads of ideas that can be examined many times until fulfilment.