25 January – 6 March 2022

Oliver Cain is an English born/New Zealand artist. He has exhibited widely in New Zealand and internationally, including notable shows in Greece, Germany, Spain, and New Zealand in 2021.

“Cain’s work covers a broad range of topics as it changes and develops as well as a wide range of materials. His artworks, subverted linguistic paintings, ceramic sculptures and installations, bare a certain physicality and push the boundaries between conceptualism and post-pop art. The creative process behind Cain’s artworks is the most important thing and therefore his artworks can be made of anything and take any form. Appropriated everyday objects transform stereotypes and famous art historical references become twisted. As proud member of the queer community, Cain uses his work to examine, question and criticize the relationships between gender, sexuality and societies’ misconceptions about those themes. But, despite what it might look like to the contemporary spectator, there is an universal profundity at play revealing itself slowly for those willing to look and feel.

The work for Let’s Start Again focuses on Oliver Cain's subverted linguistic paintings. Meaningful mark making sends the viewer subtle indirect gestures - visual messages made with symbols and shapes, sometimes obvious, sometimes not. Cain employs simplified lines to convey a discreet message that is not always realised. Created through freeform process, each work grows through a spontaneous methodology across the canvas.”