Waddington Custot in Dubai presents Photosynthetic Forms, acclaimed British artist Marc Quinn’s solo exhibition that delves into humanity’s relationship with nature. Through bold experimentation with scale and materials, the artist spotlights the delicate balance between human influence and the natural world, whether through gardening, agriculture, or other interventions that shape nature for both function and pleasure. The show will welcome all visitors until 27 February 2025.
The highlights include Held by Desire (Cloud Garden), a bronze bonsai tree symbolizing humanity’s imprint on natural forms. Other pieces, such as the mirrored stainless-steel sculptures Light into Life (The Morphology of Forms) and Light into Life (The Release of Oxygen), depict magnified orchids, while Singularity (Sabal) draws inspiration from palm leaves. These reflective artworks engage viewers by incorporating their image and surroundings, encouraging presence and awareness. The NATURE NOW series examines the impact of technology on our perception of the environment, layering fractured glass over nature imagery to bridge the digital and natural worlds.
Quinn’s newest collection, Our Botanic Selves (2024), is a series of wall sculptures in polished stainless steel, inspired by five medicinal plants. This body of work was conceived following the artist’s visit to the Kew Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London. When placed in natural settings, the sculptures seamlessly blend into their environment, emphasising the relationship between art and nature rather than the objects themselves. Through this series, Quinn underscores humanity’s deep yet often overlooked dependence on plant life.
About the artist
Marc Quinn (b. 1964, London, UK), who resides in his home city, began his artistic career in 1983, working for British sculptor Barry Flanagan. In 1985, he obtained a BA in History and History of Art from the University of Cambridge (UK).
Quinn’s unorthodox practice spans sculpture, painting, and drawing, addressing themes such as the intersection of art and science, perceptions of beauty, and the tension between the natural and the cultural. His work explores cycles of growth, evolution, and contemporary issues like genetics, identity, and mortality. Materiality plays a central role in his practice, as he frequently combines traditional and unconventional materials to provoke thought and dialogue.
Since his debut solo exhibition at South London Gallery in 1998, Quinn has displayed his works in multiple shows worldwide, which include Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams (Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA, 2021); Selected Works from the YAGEO Foundation Collection (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan, 2014); The Synaesthetics of Art and Public (Gwangju Biennale, South Korea, 2004); the 50th Venice Biennale (Italy, 2003); and The Overwhelming World of Desire (Paphiopedilum Winston Churchill Hybrid) (solo) (Goodwood Sculpture Park, UK and Tate Britain, London, 2003), to name a few.
Quinn’s creations have been featured in esteemed public collections, such as, for example, Tate and National Portrait Gallery (London), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and Berardo Museum (Lisbon, Portugal).
To learn more about Photosynthetic Forms, please visit the official website of Custot Gallery Dubai.
Additionally, you might be interested in visiting A Shroud is a Cloth, Adrian Pepe’s solo show, and Vestiges by Athar Jaber.
