Tay’s practice explores the environment, often the ones in which we inhabit, with a particular interest in how our natural and man-made surroundings are constructed, perceived and navigated. Her oeuvre can be seen as an investigation of any given city as a body – a broad umbrella of systems and networks – the hardware and the software and how they function in tandem with each other. This interconnectivity of the planned and unplanned is vital to the fast-paced life of urban dwelling. It is these infrastructures that ultimately determine the efficiency of a locale. 

With a natural instinct for materials and a talent for tactility, Tay has created a vibrant new series of works for her exhibition at Artify. Employing various methods of collage into each piece of work, The Important Bitsexplores the regenerative spirit and the idea of continuity within the physical world. Tay’s colourful creations are informed by growth, progression and discovery, and demonstrate a convergence of organic and structural forms. 

The show’s curation, inspired by the concept of a maze, is an apt display of the artist’s playful aesthetic. With only one way of entry and exit, visitors will follow the path in order to view the artworks. The exhibition creates a dynamic contrast that reflects upon the tensions and harmonies in cosmopolitan cities. The latter notion is aligned with Tay’s return to collage as a medium of making works, having previously focused on paintings and installations. Using paper as the primary material, her works incorporate brushstrokes, paper cutouts as well as everyday materials onto the base surface, creating a similar relational dialogue. Believing in the notion of life reaching full circle, the exhibition invites the viewer to discover and navigate the world around us, to experience both the permanence and the transience of our urban landscape.

Image: © Danielle Tay, Artify Gallery