An interrogation of time and space characterises Paul Kaptein’s practice. Using traditional methods of hand woodcarving and casting, his sculptural works probe constructions of the temporal, the physical and the metaphysical. Through a refined manipulation of form, works forge an equilibrium between opposing conditions: of movement and stillness, matter and void, the finite, and the infinite. The exploration of these energetic and ontological tensions evoke states of transition, rupture, and looping – disrupting conceptions of permanence and linearity.

Kaptein’s interest in practices of Taoist Lok Ha Fa Ba and Buddhist meditation underpin his work, appearing in the examination of themes of emptiness and transformation. Through calling attention to the precariousness of the concrete, and gesturing to parallel possibilities, Kaptein’s figures suggest the body as a permeable site of ongoing remix and expansion.

Winner of the 2019 Invitation Art Prize