This show takes its title from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke and combines the power of both word and paint by emblazoning a plethora of scrawled quotes ranging from Ovid, Eliot and Shakespeare to Leonard Cohen across the surfaces of juicily painted canvases. This eclectic range of handwritten inscriptions functions as a form of dynamic and expressive mark-making but can also be read as powerful life affirmations and a reminder to respect oneself and others. Equally central to these works are the large areas left empty but for swathes of off-white wash, which Victoria Cantons sees as a crucial spatial element within her celebration of interpersonal relationships and the ways we navigate the world around us.
London Gallery Weekend: our critics pick their top shows
Ben Luke and Louisa Buck, The Art Newspaper, 1 Jun 2023
