Pattern Translation, comprises a recent body of fifteen paintings, each constructed from oil and linen adhered to wooden substrates. Collectively, the works interrogate the formal legacies of modernism and geometric abstraction through a materially driven, process-oriented approach. Handwoven and deliberately irregular, the gridded structures establish a subtle rhythm—one that echoes the ways in which lived experience is apprehended through pattern, repetition, and colour.

Across the surfaces, order is disrupted by accentuated cut-outs, uneven layers of oil paint, and overlapping linen strips. While formally restrained, the works are imbued with a sense of play and physicality. The repetitive act of layering becomes an exercise in endurance, where pattern operates not only as a visual device but as a temporal and bodily rhythm. The grid, a recurring motif throughout the series, functions as both structure and subject, allowing the painting process to be dismantled and reassembled. In this way, the surface unfolds through successive layers, producing depth and reinforcing the rhythmic qualities embedded within the work.

Though the compositional language remains controlled, gestural expression emerges through iteration and accumulation. Each painting reflects an ongoing cycle of making—where reduction, repetition, and material negotiation transform the grid into a dynamic field rather than a fixed system.

Images courtesy of Simon Strong