Christiane Pooley
" Geographies of Love "


May 11 (sat) - June 30 (sun), 2024 

Missing Pages, 2024
Oil on canvas 
165.0 × 140.0 × 3.5 cm
Image rights ADAGP, 2024 Christiane Pooley

Photography: Osamu Sakamoto

Tokyo, May 11th 2024, Gallery 38 is thrilled to announce Christiane Pooley ‘s latest exhibition "Geographies of Love."

Born in 1983, Pooley spent her childhood in a region of Chile with a complex history due to colonization and the collision of different world views . She studied painting in Chile, then moved her base from Chile to London, and from London to Paris, where she gained high acclaim as a painter. She creates paintings that seem to lie between dreams and reality, based on the landscapes she grew up and her family's archival photographs. While a large part of each images are often abstract and the soft impression might momentarily evoke nostalgia. However, the bold and powerful brushstrokes and a subtly ominous atmosphere give the audience a sense of tension.

In her 2021 solo exhibition "Distance" at Gallery 38, inspired by the concept of 'distance' from a physical place of origin as well as from others, during the pandemic, Pooley explored themes of displacement and absence. Her new works dive deeper into introspective emotions, further uncovering themes of ‘belonging’ and the relationship between the individual and the concept of ‘home’: “one of the most basic social concepts by which individuals, families, nations, and regions understand themselves in relation to others” (Home—So Different, So Appealing, LACMA Museum, 2017). For Pooley, 'home' transcends its physical location, and becomes a concept rooted within personal history and emotion. It is not just a point on a map, but encompasses as a collection of geographical, cultural, social, and emotional landscapes. “Can the fictional space of painting create a real sense of belonging?” In this pursuit, she quotes Simone Weil ‘To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul’ (L'Enracinement, Simone Weil)

Pooley consistently aims to captivate viewers through the medium of painting. She utilizes this medium to bring together seemingly disparate elements on the canvas, allowing them to harmonize and convey a unified message or evoke specific emotions.

"Geographies of Love" echoes the process of assembling different concepts. It uses another lens to view reality, in this case through "love" or attachment to places and people. The feeling of rootedness and the emotional connections that tie individuals to specific places and communities play a critical role in shaping one's psychological landscape and social identity. As viewers stand before her landscapes, questioning who the figures are or where the scenes are set, they begin to dialogue with their own memories, exploring different perspectives of the scene. In a world full of conflict and confusion, Pooley's paintings invite viewers to touch upon the layered memories and timelines within themselves. In a world where dialogue derived from respect for others is crucial, its power resonates sincerely.

Christiane Pooley

Born 1983 in Temuco, Chile
Lives and works in Paris, France

2006   Postgraduate Diploma Fine Art, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London
2001-2005   BA Fine Art, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago


Recent Solo Exhibitions

2023　　- Profundidad, Perrotin, Hong Kong
2021　　- Distance, Gallery 38, Tokyo
　　　　 - The Need for Roots, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London
2020　　- La Primera Piedra, Galeria Patricia Ready, Santiago
2018　　- Landscape Beneath, Bendana Pinel Art Contemporain, Paris
2016　　- La forêt est là et me regarde, Bendana Pinel Art Contemporain, Paris
2015　　- Los bordes del mundo, Galeria Patricia Ready, Santiago
               - Promised Lands, Sandness Kunstforening, Sandones, Norway
2013　　- On Belief, solo project curated by Alexia Tala, SUMMA Fair, Madrid


Selected Group Exhibitions

2024       - From the Ancient to the Present Times IV, Gallery 38, Tokyo
2023　　- Nocturnal Ballads, Perrotin, Shanghai
　　　　 - I Feel The Way You Feel, Perrotin ( curated by Zhou Yi ), SHanghai
　　　　 - From the Ancient to the Present Times III, Gallery 38, Tokyo
2022　　- Regarde-Moi, Perrotin, Paris
　　　　 - Drawing Now, Bendana Pinel Art Contemporain, Paris
　　　　 - From the Ancient to the Present Times II, Gallery 38, Tokyo
　　　　 - Winter Show II, Bendana Pinel Art Contemporain, Paris
2021　　- From the Ancient to the Present Times, Gallery 38, Tokyo
　　　　 - Winter Show, Bendana Pinel Art Contemporain, Paris
2020　　- Salon de Pintura, Matucana 100, Santiago
               - Gallery Show, Gallery 38, Tokyo
　　　　 - All the Days and Nights, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London
               - United We Rise, Bendana Pinel ARt Contemporain, Paris                                   

                and more.... 

Exhibition Detail: 

Christiane Pooley
 " Geographies of Love "

Date: May 11 (sat) - June 30 (sun), 2024 

Hours: 12:00-19:00
Closed on: Mon, Tue, National Holidays

The artist will be at the gallery on: May 11 (sat) 
Opening reception: May 11 (sat), 18:00 - 20:00  
Subject to change without notice. Please check the our SNS for the latest information.


Place: Gallery 38
2-30-28 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo JAPAN
tel: +81 (0)3-6721-1505
email: contact@gallery-38.com