Paper is both fragile and resilient, a medium that carries traces of intimacy and impermanence. In the works of Breslin, SunJing, and Hidalgo, fragility becomes not a weakness, but a profound space of reflection and beauty.
Works on Paper offers an intimate encounter with a medium that is at once elemental and transformative. For this edition of SALA NOVA, Andrea Festa brings together three artists whose practices reveal the poetic potential of paper.
Sinead Breslin, widely recognized for her oil paintings, presents rare works on paper that extend her exploration of abstraction and metaphysical portraiture. Her drawings distill the contemplative spaces she is known for, where figures hover in suspended states between intensity and relief, evoking the liminality of dreams. Breslin’s work is included in notable collections such as the Alex Katz Foundation, San Antonio Museum of Art, Hudson Valley Maco, Palazzo Monti, Villa Gaeta, X Museum Shanghai, and Xiao Museum Suzhou.
SunJing fluidly navigates between canvas and paper, weaving atmospheric compositions inspired by literature, film, music, and personal experience. Her drawings amplify narratives of youth, desire, and the overlooked voices of women, creating poetic worlds that transcend figuration. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at September Art, Guangzhou, and ART021 (2024), and is represented in the Corridor Foundation Collection.
Sebastián Hidalgo, based in Cholula, Mexico, presents meditative works rooted in Mexico’s artistic traditions and the mythic landscape of his city. His intricate compositions, often mandala-like, are infused with the cultural and geological presence of Popocatépetl and the Great Pyramid of Cholula. His works have been exhibited at Fortnight Institute and are part of the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection.
Together, Breslin, SunJing, and Hidalgo trace fragile yet enduring narratives across paper’s surface. Their works reveal the material’s unique ability to hold fleeting gestures and intimate worlds, uniting in a collective exploration of tranquility, vulnerability, and beauty in the void.
