Balance

'Balance' brings together the artistic practices of artists Oliver Hipwell and Dot Young who who’s work intersects in response to the concept of ‘Balance’ Oliver Hipwell Sensory tension and the balance between impulse and discomfort form the aesthetic framework of this work. By exploring how satisfaction emerges through the desire to touch, as well as the curiosity that draws us toward objects that may cause unease, the work engages with the complexity of physical contact. This engagement extends beyond shape and form to materiality itself, foregrounding the tactile qualities and varied surfaces that reconcile our sensory experience. Dot Young’s practice is rooted in the belief that art shapes both personal and collective identity, influencing how we live within the world. In response to accelerating climate change and finite resources, she seeks sustainable ways of making, and being. Guided by the principles of sustainable Japanese papermaking and culture, she embraces transience, fragility, and the quiet beauty of impermanence, reflecting on what is fleeting, uncertain, and where balance may be found. Through this sensitivity to ephemerality, she invites reflection on our relationship with the natural world. Each work becomes both gesture and dialogue intended to inspire lasting change.