About the work

Untitled (A wish) continues Cantons’s preoccupation with language, line and roses to explore the question: how does one live — in Plato’s words — a “good life”? Cantons says that there are moments when one feels the ascent to empowerment and other times one dives the depths of despair but if you open yourself to it completely then those high and lows are the reward. Cantons’s practice seeks engagement with an audience and a conversation and anticipates that the audience may not always be sympathetic. At the core of Cantons’ creative exploration lies a profound journey into the essence of everyday existence, encompassing the natural world and the intricacies of human experiences. Cantons’ work invites viewers to embark on a transformative introspection and conversation regarding our position in the world, our relationships and what is our purpose.

Date and country of birth

1969, GB

Career Highlights

Recent solo exhibitions:
If Only, Time Were Ours To Spend, Again, Kunstverein (Art Association) Dresden, Germany (2023); What Birds Plunge Through Is Not The Intimate Space, Guts Gallery, London, UK (2023); Nothing is Absolute, Flowers Gallery, London, UK (2023)
Recent group exhibitions:
Present Tense, Hauser & Wirth, Somerset, UK (2024); The Cult of Beauty, Wellcome Collection, London, UK (2023); Self Portrait Prize 2023, The Atkinson Museum, Southport, UK (2023)
Publication:
ARTE QUEER (book), Elisabetta Roncati, Pub. Rizzoli (2023)
Collections:
The Roberts Institute of Art, UK; The Lougher Contemporary, UK; The Deighton Foundation, UK