Harminder Judge makes transportive sculptural works that simultaneously reference Indian neo-tantric painting, as well as the abstract expressionist and colourfield movements of the 20th century. His process pushes the boundaries of what painting can be and involves layering pigments into pools of wet plaster followed by prolonged periods of excavation (sanding, oiling and polishing). Colour, forms, and compositions are then revealed and intensify over time. This results in a gleaming, vibrating surface, with a solid granite-like depth beneath. Referring to his work not as paintings but portals they offer us a wide plane to look through, allowing for broader contemplation to take place.
For Humber Street Gallery, Judge reflects on a pivotal moment in his teenage years. At 15, he took part in the funeral rites of his Grandfather. After the cremation ceremony, he collected his Grandfather’s ashes, bone fragments and jewellery. This physical and spiritual transformation of body becoming ash, of material becoming immaterial, physical becoming metaphysical, are themes which have underpinned his practice over the last few years.
