Adrian Gor: Masses of the Undone

Masses of the Undone presents large-scale charcoal and pastel drawings created over three years, unfolding in two modes: early works deploy implied narratives drawn from portraits and symbols of Western classical masculinity, while later drawings emphasize “undone masses” formed by fragmented and recomposed groupings of historical masculine figures. Each piece—defined by incompletion and inversion—navigates stages of “undoneness,” from skeletal framework through musculature to skin level, blending abstraction with detailed cues (hands, feet, torsos, drones, shopping carts, bearded men). Body language—imbued with associations of strength, rationality, and vitality within historical iconographies—animates these newly amassed figurative forms. The resulting masses occupy abstract spaces charged with layered gestures and narrative ambiguity.

Adrian Gor (b. 1979, Iași, Romania; based in Ottawa, Canada) is a contemporary artist working in drawing, painting, and printmaking. He holds an MFA from the University of Windsor and a PhD in Art History and Philosophy from Concordia University. As Diploma Coordinator of the Fine Arts Diploma Program at the Ottawa School of Art, he also teaches Art History and Foundation Drawing. His artistic research explores connections between contemporary and modern art and the medieval theology of the icon, with publications in SAGE Journals and The Journal of Religion and Culture. Gor’s work has been exhibited across Canada, the USA, and Europe.