Artist: Tau Lewis
Exhibition title: Sparkle’s Map Home
Venue: Oakville Galleries, Oakville, Canada
Date: January 26 – March 22, 2020
Photography: all images copyright and courtesy of the artist and Oakville Galleries
The practice of Toronto-based artist Tau Lewis is anchored in a spiritual imaginary, recuperating feelings, forms and landscapes often rendered unseen. Working primarily with found textiles and foraged objects, Lewis’ works take shape through slow, labour-intensive processes such as carving, quilting and scavenging, drawing on a material and psychic resourcefulness that has long been significant to black cultural production.
For Sparkle’s Map Home, Lewis harnesses a broad spectrum of seemingly modest materials to conjure a latent ancestral otherworld. Re-envisioning Gairloch Gardens as a scene from the cosmos, Lewis reflects on the possibilities of outer space as a locus of both a black past and a black future, one where that which is unbound—materially, spiritually and otherwise—is given license to take shape anew.
Tau Lewis(b. Toronto, 1993) is a self-artist whose practice is rooted in healing personal, collective and historical traumas through labour. Her recent and forthcoming solo exhibitions include The Hepworth Wakefield, UK; Night Gallery, Los Angeles; Shoot the Lobster, New York; Atlanta Contemporary; Cooper Cole, Toronto; and Jeffrey Stark, New York. Recent and forthcoming group exhibitions include MoMA PS1, New York; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, New Museum, New York; Plug In ICA, Winnipeg; and Mercer Union, Toronto. Lewis lives and works in Toronto.
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Harmony (installation view), 2019, recycled leather, recycled poly-fibers, rebar, wire, hardware, seashells, stones, acrylic paint. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Harmony (installation detail), 2019, recycled leather, recycled poly-fibers, rebar, wire, hardware, seashells, stones, acrylic paint. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Harmony (installation detail), 2019, recycled leather, recycled poly-fibers, rebar, wire, hardware, seashells, stones, acrylic paint. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Harmony (installation detail), 2019, recycled leather, recycled poly-fibers, rebar, wire, hardware, seashells, stones, acrylic paint. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Thumper (Heartbeat of the Sun) (installation view), 2019, recycled fabrics, acrylic paint, plaster, pipe, wire, hardware, seashells, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Thumper (Heartbeat of the Sun) (installation view), 2019, recycled fabrics, acrylic paint, plaster, pipe, wire, hardware, seashells, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Thumper (Heartbeat of the Sun) (installation detail), 2019, recycled fabrics, acrylic paint, plaster, pipe, wire, hardware, seashells, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Thumper (Heartbeat of the Sun) (installation detail), 2019, recycled fabrics, acrylic paint, plaster, pipe, wire, hardware, seashells, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Thumper (Heartbeat of the Sun) (installation detail), 2019, recycled fabrics, acrylic paint, plaster, pipe, wire, hardware, seashells, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Thumper (Heartbeat of the Sun) (installation detail), 2019, recycled fabrics, acrylic paint, plaster, pipe, wire, hardware, seashells, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Thumper (Heartbeat of the Sun) (installation view), 2019, recycled fabrics, acrylic paint, plaster, pipe, wire, hardware, seashells, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Harmony (2) (installation view), 2019, recycled leather, wire, recycled poly fibres, rebar, hardware, stones, sand dollars, seashells. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Harmony (2) (installation view), 2019, recycled leather, wire, recycled poly fibres, rebar, hardware, stones, sand dollars, seashells. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home. 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, I heard a heartbeat down in the blackhole (installation detail), 2019, recycled material, found metal. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Crystal Rock and Shockwave (installation view), 2019, recycled leather, plaster, concrete, acrylic paint, snail shells, seashells, wire, hardware, recycled poly fibres, pipe, stones, office chair wheels, wood. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Crystal Rock and Shockwave (installation detail), 2019, recycled leather, plaster, concrete, acrylic paint, snail shells, seashells, wire, hardware, recycled poly fibres, pipe, stones, office chair wheels, wood. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Crystal Rock and Shockwave (installation detail), 2019, recycled leather, plaster, concrete, acrylic paint, snail shells, seashells, wire, hardware, recycled poly fibres, pipe, stones, office chair wheels, wood. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Crystal Rock and Shockwave (installation detail), 2019, recycled leather, plaster, concrete, acrylic paint, snail shells, seashells, wire, hardware, recycled poly fibres, pipe, stones, office chair wheels, wood. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Crystal Rock and Shockwave (installation detail), 2019, recycled leather, plaster, concrete, acrylic paint, snail shells, seashells, wire, hardware, recycled poly fibres, pipe, stones, office chair wheels, wood. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Crystal Rock and Shockwave (installation detail), 2019, recycled leather, plaster, concrete, acrylic paint, snail shells, seashells, wire, hardware, recycled poly fibres, pipe, stones, office chair wheels, wood. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, The Octonaut (I can be my own hands to hold) (installation view), 2019, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, The Octonaut (I can be my own hands to hold) (installation view), 2019, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, The Octonaut (I can be my own hands to hold) (installation detail), 2019, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, The Octonaut (I can be my own hands to hold) (installation detail), 2019, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, The Octonaut (I can be my own hands to hold) (installation detail), 2019, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, The Octonaut (I can be my own hands to hold) (installation detail), 2019, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Sparkle & Sparkle’s map home (installation view), 2018, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Sparkle & Sparkle’s map home (installation view), 2018, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Sparkle & Sparkle’s map home (installation view), 2018, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Sparkle & Sparkle’s map home (installation view), 2018, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Sparkle & Sparkle’s map home (installation view), 2018, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Sparkle & Sparkle’s map home (installation detail), 2018, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Sparkle & Sparkle’s map home (installation detail), 2018, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Tau Lewis, Sparkle & Sparkle’s map home (installation detail), 2018, recycled fabrics, concrete, pipe, acrylic paint, metal globe, wire, stones, seashells, plaster, hardware, recycled poly fibres. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay
Installation view of Tau Lewis: Sparkle’s Map Home, 2020. Image courtesy of Oakville Galleries. Photo: Laura Findlay