Cart (0)

"Heavier Than it Looks"

Posted by Tim Biskup on

“Heavier Than it Looks”
Drawings by Mandy Robinson
Sculptures by Roger Lee

On view until Dec 8th.

Gallery Hours Sat+Sun 12-6PM, or by appointment.

For press or purchase inquiries, please email info@faceguts.com

About Mandy Robinson
Born: 1961, Sydney (Eora), Australia

Lives: Newcastle (Awabakal country) Australia
Education: Art Certificate Newcastle TAFE Art School 1979, BA (Visual Arts) Newcastle University 1987, Grad Dip. Ed. Art Newcastle University 1988.
Mandy Robinson’s creative journey is a testament to adaptation, resilience, and reverence for process. She studied painting in Newcastle the 1970s and 80s, during which period she exhibited occasionally while supporting herself with various jobs. 
Her practice took a new direction in the early 90s with the birth of her children, limiting her painting time, but opening doors to alternative forms of expression.
Out of both necessity and curiosity, Robinson began working with reclaimed materials, embracing stapling, stitching, papier-mâché, collage, and mosaic techniques. She describes this shift as a move toward three-dimensional drawing. 
For Robinson, drawing is a daily ritual and a meditative, therapeutic practice - she sees her work as a by-product of personal therapy rather than a destination.
In her recent series, Heavier Than it Looks, Robinson’s restricted studio space has led her to work on a smaller scale. Her intricate, repetitive marks form dense and shadowed images that, despite their sometimes weighty appearance, radiate resilience and hope.

About Roger Lee

Born/Raised: Los Angeles, CA
Education: BFA in Ceramics from San Jose State University; MFA in Ceramics from Clemson University, SC
Current Role: One half of the artist collaborative Kat and Roger, specializing in hand-thrown and hand-painted ceramics

Roger Lee’s work is a profound exploration of process, where the art of painting and pottery converge in a conversation between form and surface, texture and color, paint and clay. His approach is rooted in the physical connection with the materials he and his partner use, expressing the essence of their surroundings and the immersive experiences of a visual culture. Through this constant dialogue, each piece embodies an interaction that is both tactile and visual, capturing the duality of function and expression.

For Lee, curiosity is the driving force. His fascination with soft folds, rounded forms, and the tension of interior spaces fuels his creative journey. This body of work, crafted exclusively for Face Guts, invites viewers to engage with the subtle tools and processes behind each piece, where the dialogue of creation resonates as strongly as the final form.