Leah Hewson, « Raze the Container »

« To raze the container is to free what was never meant to be held. »

This autumn, Château La Coste is delighted to announce the first solo exhibition in France of the Dublin-based artist Leah Hewson. This exhibition will comprise of sculptural work from 2022, and new paintings created in 2025, which book end a challenging time of creative block for the artist, a subsequent disintegration of ego and identity and a journey back to a different self. It reflects on the nuances of the human experience and offers reflection for the continued unfolding of what identity means in an ever changing internal and external world.

Here, the "container" is the self: both a physical form that can be taken apart and rebuilt, and a philosophical metaphor for the unseen forces that shape us— time, language, perception, and consciousness. It questions inherited and self- imposed structures about who we are, and who we should be, proposing that true transformation and liberation come from their collapse.

This is presented with an introspective painting practice documenting the acquiescence and renewing process of the artists identity, that displays a striking contrast to and offers a counterpoint to the assured, resolved nature of the earlier sculptural pieces.

The irregular, unstable blocks or containers in the paintings—some solid, others mere outlines—lack structural cohesion and defy the logic of physical space, reflecting emotional disorganization and a struggle for control. Heavy lines suggest boundaries, while overlapping shapes blur them, pointing to unresolved inner conflict.

When we look at the body of paintings together, however, it could be suggested that the blocks and containers are in fact breadcrumbs on a path—affirming the way back to the self, yet hinting at one that continues to unfold indefinitely.

The unconscious mind is a reservoir of our experiences, ideas and images. This hidden realm not only forms the foundation of our individual characters, thinking patterns, and behaviours that make up 95% of brain activity, but it also connects us as humans on a deeper level through our collective unconscious.

« I am on a quest to explore this subliminal space, taking an introspective journey to excavate the self. I want to find liberation through expression that is free from social construct and aesthetic expectation. To explore this space, I draw inspiration from the Jungian theory, Process of Individuation. I find ways to access the unconscious through various means of finding a state of flow, like meditation, automatic writing and body movement. In the studio, I adopt an impulsive and instinctive relationship to colour, materials, and techniques, remaining open to any possibility. I listen to monotonous repetitive music through headphones and work on multiple pieces at once in order to let go of control and create the optimal environment for flow state to emerge.

The work begins with pure abstract movement, and continues to dance between unconscious expressive marks and conscious symbols and forms. This abstract vocabulary of complex yet playful layers emerge through geometric patterns and grids that transcend the constraints of space and time on the canvas.

The dance between elements and layers in the paintings signals the impossibility of remaining solely in the realm of the unconscious. Taking these elements from my abstract lexicon, I extend my artistic expression into various mediums such as installation, sculpture, and murals. This is an attempt to hold the unconscious experiences that feature in the present reality and offer them a space of their own to exist as symbols and beacons of the unconscious. »

Leah Hewson