“The ways of the underworld are perfect”
This is Tau Lewis’ first solo exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ’s Bury Street location, showcasing four sculptural masks created as a unified poetic entity. These pieces symbolically trace the odyssey of Venus during retrograde, reflecting themes of descent, transformation, and rebirth.
Exhibition Description
The sculptures, assembled as peaceful emissaries from the spirit realm, invite introspection during Venus retrograde—mirroring her withdrawal from the sky and re-emergence. Inanna (the Sumerian Venus) guides the underlying narrative of descent, challenge, release, and calm. Lewis employs experimental and playful processes in mask-making, sourcing natural pigments (beetroot, hibiscus, turmeric) and applying repurposed textiles, beads, leather, and fragments from earlier works. These materials underscore renewal and multi-layered storytelling. The exhibition’s title echoes a chant meant to comfort Inanna during her descent: “The ways of the underworld are perfect.” These intangible, body-less talismans embody chaotic yet magnetic energies tied to mythic, psychological, and spiritual realms.
Gallery
