Hold On To An Ice Cube is a solo exhibition of oil paintings by Matilda Davis from 10 September to 1 October 2022. In the spirit of Surrealism, the small compositions are steeped in mystery and strangeness that lead the viewer to the edge of the unknown.
Carefully studied subjects surface in the painted dream scenes and symbols. Feeding on memory and emotion, Davis’ artworks are both playfully alluring and foreboding. Across five works, we see a bandaged lion’s paw, and a butterfly of flesh taking flight after splintering from a horse’s back. What appears as a maze, upon closer inspection, is a pinwheel of ribbons, and a set of pan scales, creating equilibrium between a single oyster and a stick of butter, floating between is a gold signet ring and a necklace of pearls. In the final work, a veiled mirror emerges from the swampy mangroves of a wetland reflecting light back up in to a luminescent sky and basking under an eerie full moon. Davis’ fantastic hallucinatory scenes encourage exploration of one’s own psyche. They welcome reflection on our own internal worlds as she opens the door to something remote and revered.
Matilda Davis’ Hold On To An Ice Cube is a courageous body of work described by the artist as a process of “dipping a toe” into the visceral. The pieces are an expression of loss, grief, and anguish, where reality is experienced through a fantastical lens. As Davis continues dissecting, purging, and cleansing, she allows the viewer the possibility to imagine that there could be more to come – and feared – just outside of the frame.
Dates: 10 September– 1 October 2022
Hours: Thursday to Saturday, 12:00–6:00pm
View the exhibition catalogue
Hear Matilda Davis in conversation with Louise Klerks
Find out more about Matilda Davis
Listen to Tai Snaith’s exhibition review on 102.7FM
This exhibition is part of a new initiative led by Missing Persons to increase the visibility and exhibition opportunities of emerging women artists in the Australian arts, supported by the City of Melbourne through their Annual Arts Grants