Sonny Sanjay Vadgama – Before the Void
Sonny Sanjay Vadgama works with a range of media that includes video, photography and holography. The spectrum of his work ranges from personal experiences to the political. The narrative approach sways between the extremes of order and instability, which he considers to be closely related. Although Vadgama’s work is inherently political, it does not offer a partisan response. Rather, it explores the various nuances of extreme phenomena and draws on theories such as entropy. A conceptual approach to video allows Vadgama to construct a set of narrative structures capable of mapping his complex theoretical ideas and his aesthetic imagery.
Galerie Kornfeld is pleased to present the second solo exhibition by Sonny Sanjay Vadgama at the gallery.
Award-winning British artist Sonny Sanjay Vadgama works with a range of media including video, photography and holography. He studied at Central Saint Martins College in London and has exhibited internationally since graduation. His work has been shown in national museums and biennales and is held in numerous private collections.
The thematic scope of Vadgama’s practice ranges from the personal to the political. His narrative approach oscillates between the extremes of order and instability, which he understands as deeply interconnected. Although his work is inherently political, Vadgama avoids partisan positions, instead exploring subtle nuances of extreme phenomena and drawing on theoretical concepts such as entropy. His conceptual use of video enables him to construct narrative structures that convey both his complex theoretical ideas and his distinctive aesthetic.
Vadgama’s new body of work investigates the intersection between the void and its formation from the unknown—whether an unknown that can be sensorially perceived or one that emerges through ruptures of the subconscious. Using a variety of media, the artist explores the boundaries between nothingness and human perception.
The photographic series was created in multiple stages. By combining painting, sculpture and repeatedly re-photographed images, Vadgama develops works that seek to define the space between the surface and “that which exists beyond.” In contrast to much of his earlier work, this series employs a broader colour palette and vibrant gradients that intensify contrast and evoke a physical sense of depth. Video and photography enter into a symbiotic relationship, questioning the tension inherent between the void and its manifestation.
Sonny Sanjay Vadgama (1981, London) graduated with distinction from Central Saint Martins College London in 2009. He subsequently won the prestigious Exposure Award at Parasol Unit, where his work was exhibited alongside Turner Prize winners during Frieze week. In 2010, his work was shown alongside artists such as Mona Hatoum, Tim Noble and Sue Webster in the exhibition Psychoanalysis: The Unconscious in Everyday Life at the Science Museum in London. His work is included in the Zabludowicz Collection. In 2014, Vadgama became a Fellow and Artist in Residence at Girton College, University of Cambridge. This year-long residency culminated in a large-scale exhibition featuring installations and building projections, including at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.