21 October - 19 November 2005
35 Heddon Street, London W1
For her first solo exhibition in London, Paloma Varga Weisz presents a chorus of painted wood figures and a large group of works on paper. With their hands gently folded and their bodies truncated to the torso, the carved sculptures assume the role of mute, meditative observers. Carved in traditional lime-wood and painted with layers of softly polished paint, they recall the quiet decoration of choir stalls and pulpits in early churches. On paper they have a lightness and humour that often gives way to a more melancholic feel once carved into wood. On occasion they appear like sweet and confused gargoyles. Many have sprouted double heads, multiple sets of eyes and comic expressions - physical manifestations of psychological states of pleasure or anxiety.