Projects Twenty Two is pleased to present Presence: an exhibition of figurative works on paper – five artists and their inquiries into human existence.

In a new series of works, Felipe Chavez (London) explores the influence of the sun on the body. Thirteen years ago, he left his native Columbia for London, and as his skin became acquainted to British climes, he noticed how it turned lighter. This interaction between sun and skin is representative of displacement, but also of belonging and renewal. Felipe describes his use of ink and water as being sculptural, with his brushes used to carve negative space, construct texture, and build depth of shadow. Although the figure is based on himself, these are not self-portraits. Felipe refers to him as ‘the boy’, and here he is seen basking in the incandescent warmth of the sun.

In recent years, shadows have emerged as a strong thematic focus for Faye Dobinson (Penzance). Her fluid serpentine figures give form to the movements and rhythms of her body. Just as our shadows yield to our surroundings, these beguiling beings weave inwards and outwards, their darkness and depth enticing us into their dance. Drawing-upon a wide range of reference points from folklore to dream analysis, Faye’s shadow works are at once striking and surreal, yet also tender and relatable.

Thomas Garnon (London) creates explorative and intimate drawings in ink, oil stick and charcoal. Created in a close proximity to the artist, often on a tabletop using a favoured tattered brush, he harnesses the positives of immediacy and chance. The resulting images, always made in one sitting and never revised or adapted, are alluringly ambiguous; and it is this that has become a touchstone of his work. The figures are caught in a state of perpetual flux – simmering distillations of emotion, with an overarching interest in empathy and affinity.

Alexander Glass (London) unravels how experiences of joy, pleasure, longing and loss will often coexist. In his large-scale drawings, an idealised version of himself is depicted on two beaches at other ends of the country: Polzeath here in Cornwall, and Filey in North Yorkshire. These figures look out across both coastal contexts in a reciprocal interaction of indulgence and voyeurism. The drawings are about seeing and being seen, and there is a palpable sense of melancholy, of being on the edge of something. This follows an art historical tradition of depicting lone or isolated figures in a landscape; in one sense existential, but in another familiar and nostalgic.

Lisa Wright (Helston) is interested in ideas of nature and nurture, truth and wonderment. Her practice, being rooted to the rigours of observational drawing, is here being pushed to its limits; the resulting works inviting the viewer to become immersed. Taking reference from life observed, memories recalled, and photographic documentation, Lisa finds that it is often the most fleeting of moments that will trigger an idea. These works are an impactful comment on humankind, and their prepossessing strangeness alludes to emotions that language cannot express.

Presence: an exhibition of figurative works on paper is curated by Dr Matt Retallick