Please join us for the opening of Duality, Sureen and Thomas Gouw’s first exhibition with Markian, commencing at 6 pm on Thursday, June 2nd, in the Markian showroom
There’s something strange, almost unreal, about the current state of the world. Homogenous, polarizing, oppressively divisive. It feels unnatural because it is. Human nature, and life for that matter, is full of contradictions. Absolutes eliminate the nuance and individuality of our human experience. In a world that feels so full, in which we are stretched thin beyond our limits, the allure of ‘all-or-nothing’ stances is easy to understand. With so much vying for our attention, we simply do not have the time to flesh something out, to explore the subtleties. From a survival standpoint, snap decisions probably determined life or death. But with all the comforts of the modern world, including the distinct lack of dinosaurs and large prey animals, one must beg the question – why are we still making such rash judgements? What is the anecdote to this rigidity?
Dualism.
Drawing from Yin-Yang, the complex relational concept of Chinese culture, in which two seemingly oppositional forces are contained within a circle, we are presented with the idea that everything contains the seed of its opposite. Dark and light, matter and emptiness, life and death. Opposite, yet complementary.
In holding space for two opposing forces, we can see the inherent relativity. In accepting simultaneous existence, embracing the universe’s natural flow, division falls away. Suddenly, the possibility of transformation, creation, and compassion opens up. Everything is relative, capable of change. Our world would be a much kinder place if we understood that about ourselves and one another.– Anyssa Chorvat, curator
About the artists:
Thomas Gouws is an abstract artist living on the Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne. Originally from South Africa, he worked as an architect for more than 20 years before immigrating to Australia in 2018 with his wife and young daughters.
His minimalistic mixed media artworks are explorations of geometric abstraction and draw inspiration from his architectural background. His practice examines the layers where the disciplines of Art & Architecture converge and embodies a language of pure, clean geometries combined with coarse, rugged textures and tonal colour schemes.
Sureen Gouws is a South African-born abstract artist living on the Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne. After working as an architect for over a decade, Sureen migrated to Australia in 2018 with her husband and young daughters, simultaneously starting a career in art. Sureen’s works are constructed from layers of timber and hand-painted with textural paint. It is finished in subtle neutral colours that give the works a soft tactile and warm minimalistic character. The beauty lies in the balance between the clean lines of the wood and the uneven hand paint textures. It gives each artwork a soul of its own.
About the gallery:
A joint venture between two families, the Markian Legacy is inspired by and built on the shoulders of our fathers. The legacy, whose core is relationships, carries true craft, professional excellence, and relational authenticity that extends into every connection, our team, our customers, our suppliers, and our natural environment. Markian crafts quality bespoke furniture, luxurious interior objects, rugs, and fine art to reflect what really matters to you.
