Josh Lilley is proud to announce the opening of the first exhibition at the gallery by Rebecca Nassauer.

Safekeepers will bring together a body of work made by the artist over the past two years. Consisting of masks, sculptures and the large-scale installation Some Way Home, the gallery will host an exhibition that details the various supports, hopes, relationships and expressions, of an artist dealing with the debilitation of her own physical condition. The characters, confines and spirits that Nassauer has created point fundamentally to the inherent instinct of survival, and through the mix of materials at her disposal provide a narrative for staying alive.

At its core, Nassauer's works are concerned with decay and loss, of failed limbs and aching memories. However the sculptures dispel any utterings of melancholy or pity, and instead express a generosity of spirit and inner life, where humour and hilarity expose the human condition. In a sense the use of plasticine can be seen as a regression into a childlike sensibility, where the dialogues between the characters and Rebecca become fulfilling, soothing and comforting. The artist references guardians, safekeepers, angels and refuge — figures and places have been created to protect the artist, while at the same time becoming a reflection of her vulnerability. What challenges Nassauer is the marriage of materials that would normally seem incompatible, wherein various found objects become integral to the work. The found object is not a strategy per se but exists all around her. Collecting or gathering comes first. Beginning as source material, these objects then become artworks, inspired by their own insistence and desire to be used.