Capture & Release - Kate McLeod

October 14 - November 4, 2023

Rei Gallery is excited to host a solo show by Ōtautahi abstract artist and collective member Kate McLeod from October 14th to November 4th, 2023. 

Capture and Release will be the first solo show hosted at Rei Gallery since our opening in March 2023

McLeod explains: “Each year I choose a one-word intention. This year’s word is ‘release’.  Release represents several things: releasing those things that no longer serve me; releasing my creations into the care of others; releasing predisposed assumptions; releasing the viscous paint across the surface of the canvas; releasing the breath caught deep in my chest.”

“This habit of setting a one-word intention started a few years back when I became disillusioned with setting the same long list of New Year’s resolutions each year (and not achieving them). So now I set a one-word intention, to simplify and focus on what I want to improve. Release was a response to a feeling of blockage I had. Painting is the way through for me. Because on the other side of the struggle there is flow. Some days it comes fast. Some slow. Some not at all. Flow is elusive but the more I train the more I find it”.  

“My painting practice grounds me in the physical, grounds me in nature. Setting an intention for each artwork is an important part of my process. It’s the process that keeps me coming back for more. The process of putting energy to canvas and creating a new reality that didn’t exist before. Energy captured as a tangible moment in time.”

“I make a mark, then wait for its response. Painting is a two-way conversation. It’s like a giant puzzle that needs to be solved. The challenge of solving the puzzle keeps me coming back for more. Capture then release. Capture then release.”