INTRODUCTION TO JO HUMMEL
Current exhibition
Overview
"In a world where everything is shifting, you are the only constant element"
MACADAM is delighted to embark on an exciting new journey with british artist Jo Hummel. With these introductory pieces - Deep Time and Sing Our Way Home - Hummel sets out on a quest for metaphysical understanding through color and form. Inviting the viewer into cosmic dialogue, the artist tempts us into questioning our place in the universe and our relationship with our surroundings, from the very minute to the macroscopic.
“My work is rooted in an awareness of our deep connection to the ancient matter that forms us—a recognition that we are composed of the same cosmic material that has existed for millennia. Sing Our Way Home, with its irregular shape and repeated gradual sloping curve, embodies that sense of continuity and flow. The curve suggests a gentle unfolding, echoing the organic patterns found in nature and the passage of time. In shaping the work, I aimed to capture the quiet persistence of matter in motion, a reminder that within each of us lies the memory of distant stars and ancient landscapes, subtly influencing our present.”
Works
Installation Views
Press release
Jo Hummel is known for her distinctive exploration of the human experience through her paper universe. Her work engages deeply with the realms of anthropology and psychology, using humble materials to convey profound emotional themes. Throughout her work, Hummel studies the depth of consciousness with a minimalist yet deeply thoughtful approach, examining how paper—an ordinary, fragile, and often overlooked medium—can transcend its humble origins to embody profound ideas.
At the heart of Hummel’s work lie anthropological and psychological inquiries, such as belief systems, human rituals, and life cycles — structures that shape every aspect of our lives. However, Hummel’s work is not limited to a mere representation of these experiences. Instead, she embarks on a reductionist investigation of these ideas, stripping them down to their essence to reveal their shared or subjective fundamentals. She talks about her practice as a sort of meditation guided by constant flux, allowing her to peel away at layers of consciousness. Her creative process entails both calculated, deliberate choice and allowing for spontaneity and intuition-guided creation, to reach every nook and cranny of the human psyche.
While Hummel’s paper constructions may appear deceptively simple, beneath their apparent minimalism lies a complex exploration of choice, determinism, and free will. Through techniques such as collage, weaving, layering and editing, Hummel engages in a constant dialogue between intention and intuition. Each layer of paper represents a possibility—each choice made, or rejected, forms part of a larger narrative. The true essence of her work lies not just in the final piece, but in the process itself. The act of creation becomes a reflection on the infinity of potential outcomes, where each decision is both an assertion of control and a surrender to chance. In this way, Hummel’s work invites the viewer to contemplate the delicate balance between the known and unknown, the ‘what is’ and the ‘what if?’, and the infinite possibilities that shape our lives.
Hummel’s medium of choice—paper—is fundamental to her artistic practice. For Hummel, it’s more than just a surface; it becomes a dynamic tool for contemplation, manipulated through domestic tools like scissors and scalpels. He is not afraid to seek out the flaws of the medium, whose fragility lends itself to seams, fissures, and fault lines. Her approach to collage is both meditative and adaptive. The work is ever-fluctuating, with Hummel constantly reworking and adjusting the forms and colors. Each sheet of paper, colored front and back, becomes a canvas for endless possibilities. Through this ongoing dialogue between material and maker, Hummel’s process reveals a more intimate approach to artistic creation.
Color is a hallmark of Hummel’s practice, offering a rich, visual language that translates the complexities of human emotion. Her color palettes are inspired by the hues of her daily surroundings, from the landscapes of her hometown to the everyday encounters she experiences. Just like the medium, color serves as a medicine of sorts, a window into emotion and cognition. In Hummel’s art, color is not just an aesthetic choice, but a way to communicate the unspoken, the intuitive, and the unseen.