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Writer's pictureContemporary Art Awards

Exhibition Statements Made Easy


If you find it difficult to write an exhibition statement you are not alone. This article can help you structure the next one you write. Keep in mind, the approach below is just one way you can tackle your next statement:


If you are finding it difficult to begin your statement start with the exhibition title. For example:

  • A Series of Predicted Events and Peculiar Statements (2017) is a....


Then it could follow with what the works are such as a group of paintings/photographic prints/an installation/sculptural pieces/mixed media works.


  • group of mixed media works...


Now, you will need to underline the basic idea or theme of the exhibition;

  • that draw from cassette and digital recordings of psychic readings held between 1993 and 2013. The works in this series offer allegorical interpretations of accurate predictions that came to fruition and statements that resonated with me. Highlighted predictions mark significant turning points in my life, while the statements are either reassurances or issues I struggled to comprehend. As a result, the work is autobiographical in nature and depicts real-life circumstances. Apart from highlighting the accuracy of messages, the objective is to emphasis—through personal experience—life’s unexpected turns: even though the outcomes were foretold, they were still not anticipated.

The next step is to state how the images within the work or materials relate to the basic idea or theme.


  • Steeped in symbolism, the clusters of gem-like motifs represent the continuous movement of life, while the three opened-doors and miniature figure within the shapes denote a departure into a new and unknown phase. Some images draw on irony while others are a literal interpretation of a prediction or statement. The colour combination is used to relieve the seriousness of the events and statements and to demonstrate the positive transformation that followed each experience. 

Your overall vision, and what you hope the audience will gain from seeing your artwork or exhibition.


  • Overall, the series invites the viewer to reflect on their life sequences and to consider whether some aspects of our lives are pre-determined or simply a creation of our own making.


Therefore, the exhibition statement reads...

A Series of Predicted Events and Peculiar Statements (2017) is a group of mixed media works that draw from cassette and digital recordings of psychic readings held between 1993 and 2013. The works in this series offer allegorical interpretations of accurate predictions that came to fruition and statements that resonated with me. Highlighted predictions mark significant turning points in my life, while the statements are either reassurances or issues I struggled to comprehend. As a result, the work is autobiographical in nature and depicts real-life circumstances. Apart from highlighting the accuracy of messages, the objective is to emphasise—through personal experience—life’s unexpected turns: even though the outcomes were foretold, they were still not anticipated.


Steeped in symbolism, the clusters of gem-like motifs represent the continuous movement of life, while the three opened-doors and miniature figure within the shapes denote a departure into a new and unknown phase. Some images draw on irony while others are a literal interpretation of a prediction or statement. The colour combination is used to relieve the seriousness of the events and statements and to demonstrate the positive transformation that followed each experience.  Overall, the series invites the viewer to reflect on their life sequences and to consider whether some aspects of our lives are pre-determined or simply a creation of our own making.





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