Charming

Collect Art Fair

Stand E9b

1-3 March 2024

Previews: 28 & 29th February 2024

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SHAM Gallery is pleased to announce this presentation with Collect Art Fair 2024. Presented by Crafts Council, Collect is the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design.

The gallery will host Charming, a site specific installation by Elena Hoskyns-Abrahall.

"𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓃𝑒𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝒾𝒹𝒹𝓁𝑒. 𝒩𝑜𝓉 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 '𝓂𝒾𝒹𝒹𝓁𝑒', 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒶𝓂𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈𝓉. 𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑒𝓃𝓈 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓂𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓊𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃𝓈? 𝐻𝑜𝓇𝓂𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝒾𝓃𝑔. 𝐼 𝒶𝓈𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒶𝓂, 𝒾𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝑔𝓁𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈?"

In a place of transition.

When a transgender person begins medical transition, it is as if they are transported to the point of adolescence again. The voice cracks, the skin transposes, the body odours, new hair grows and more emotions than you know what to do with erupt and launch into an explosion that detonates. Pair this with choice, with wanting, with needing, and you have the “second-adolescence.” In the first adolescence there is embarrassment and/or shame. In the second; you only find bliss.

There is so much beauty to be found in masculine adolescence. A thing which is so often overlooked. Through the transgender experience we are given the permission to isolate and amplify the significance of that beauty. In transition, the experience of “symptoms,” represent something that is so desperately wanted, needed and desired - and is very much oppose to what is typically endured. Charming is the aim to open up this experience and to allow those who do not get to experience gender incongruence, to gain access to that perspective. Elena Hoskyns-Abrahall reveals the beauty and vulnerability of being: In a place of transition.

Taking objects symbolising the shameful tropes of adolescence, the artist transforms them into objects of desire using precious materials and casting processes. A poignant juxtaposition of material and subject culminating in esoteric vignettes, playing with and heightening the nostalgia and romance of adolescence through a trans-masculine lens.

Elena's practice spans a wide variety of ideas and methods however they work predominantly in sculpture and performance, looking at themes relating to Gender, Identity Politics and Queer Theory. A narrative undercurrent often runs through their work, which they use as a framework for exploring a greater message or school of thought. Story-telling through performance and objects is key to Elena's practice.

Looking at the world through the lens of abjection, Elena uses this as a tool for exploring their human experience. Whether it be through objects or performance, the bodily and the repulsive become excellent tools for exploring the dysphoric nature of the human condition.

Elena Hoskyns-Abrahall was born in 1998 in Edinburgh, UK. They currently live and work in London, UK. In 2023 Elena graduated from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Sculpture. They were also in receipt of The Gilbert Bayes Award in association with the Royal College of Art Sculpture Programme. Recent exhibitions include: Soft & Hard: Beyond Recognition and Queer Coding, The Art House UK, Wakefield, UK (2023); The Witch’s Cave, Plop Residency, London, UK (2023); Across-Over-Beyond, Space Station Sixty Five, London, UK (2023); Royal College of Art MA Degree Show, The Truman Brewery, London, UK (2023); Soft & Hard: Beyond Recognition and Queer Coding, Bermondsey Project Space, London, UK (2023); Raise Love, The Crypt Gallery, London, UK (2023); RCA WIP Show, Online (2022); We Won't Stop Showing, Set Woolwich, London, UK (2022); Too Much Fruit on the Cake, Take Courage Gallery, London, UK (2022); (2022); Artfem ‘Natura’, International Biennial of Macau, Albergue SCM, Macau, China (2020). Elena's work has been featured in the Wildstone Publication in collaboration with The Poorhouse Reading Rooms, Van Gogh House, Tate Archives, and the Freud Museum.

WORKS