06/08/2026
SD_stch
60 × 60 cm mixed media
2026
Materiality
Today opening at Saatchi Gallery, curated by BSMT SPACE .
Saatchi Gallery, London
6 August–12 September
Materiality explores the expressive power of materials beyond the traditional language of paint on canvas. Bringing together the work of 21 contemporary artists, the exhibition considers what happens when the physical substance of an artwork becomes as significant as the image, object or idea it carries.
Glass, metal, plastic, textiles, thread and paper appear alongside found, salvaged and industrial materials. Each possesses its own character: weight, fragility, tension, transparency, softness, resistance or decay. Rather than acting simply as a surface or support, these materials become active participants in the work, shaping both its creation and the way it is experienced.
Texture, weight, surface and process take centre stage. Evidence of cutting, stitching, burning, breaking, layering, weaving, assembling and transforming remains visible, revealing the physical labour behind each piece. In some works, materials are pushed to their limits; in others, their familiar functions are disrupted or reimagined.
Materiality invites audiences to look beyond representation and towards the physical presence of the artwork itself. In an increasingly digital and immaterial world, the exhibition celebrates artists for whom material is not simply a means to an end, but an essential part of their visual language.
Participating artists:
Arlo Sinclair, Carrie Reichardt, Crystal Wagner, Dan Rawlings, Florist, Handiedan, Helch, Joe Everyman, Joe Sangre, Jonesy, Laura Ortiz Vega, LPVDA, Mário Belém, Matthew Small, Perishable Rush, Perspicere, Rocco and his Brothers, Sally Hewett, Simon Berger, Simon Hennessey and Soda.