Art, Life, Love, Death, Immortality and a Respectable Haircut… An apt title not only for this series of work, but also to describe Rehgan De Mather as an artist. Rehgan was selected as the fortyfivedownstairs Artist in Residence for 2017, creating this body of work during his four-month residency at the gallery. As the exhibition title suggests, Rehgan’s innovative creative practice shifts between chaos and order. From collage, to spray paint, to found objects, the diverse, bold and bright media in which Rehgan works is expertly crafted into a wild, yet cohesive exhibition.
Travel, fatherhood, life in general: these aspects of his life inspire Rehgan’s practice, ultimately contributing to a distinct personal iconography which is certainly reflected in this new series. The colour, humour and honesty of Rehgan’s work is a refreshing antidote to the mundanities of everyday life, seeking to question and challenge, but also allowing pure indulgence and enjoyment in the world he creates.
Briar Holt, 2017.