RETROSPECTIVELY; FINDING THE LIGHT is a solo exhibition charting the curious journey of artist Nicole Wassall, from the influence of neuroscience, to the use of poetry as a form of sketching. The spirited investigation of her evolving practice is presented by Fiumano Clase, in collaboration with TM Lighting.
Running from the 11th of September to the 7th of October 2025, the show gathers works from the past decade to reveal how her works develop fresh relevance as the world around them shifts. As an artist, Wassall focuses her attention on the blurred lines of life, as she searches for sense, or at least good honest nonsense. The exhibition is a cross-disciplined exploration of a practice that invites the audience to reconcile logic with imagination.
Legend
Gold leaf shimmers beside semi‑precious stones in Holy Relic C33AD, and whilst there is no direct reference to Jesus, the symbolism of the crown of thorns ensures it’s implied. A cheeky elbow in the ribs to the authenticity of holy relics and yet, there is more to it than that. Hawthorn, the first documented medicine known for healing the heart, is a fitting choice for Jesus’s crown. Legend has it that his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, fashioned a staff from the hawthorn bush Jesus’s crown was made from, and travelled to Britain to hide the Holy Grail. Arriving in Glastonbury he struck his staff into the ground and it burst into flower.
Intriguingly, the artist’s ‘Holy Relic’ is made from cuttings from Glastonbury hawthorn, and botanists (from University of Reading, December 2017) confirmed that it’s a Middle Eastern variety of hawthorn. It is unusual to the British Isles and flowers twice a year, spring time and Christmas. The crown is further enhanced with bloodstones which, according to legend, were formed when the blood of Christ fell onto jasper stones at the foot of the cross.
A gagged statue of Thomas More hints at the silence that sealed his fate. Henry VIII had Thomas More executed for treason, because he refused to verbally acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England. His rebellion was to remain silent during the oath of Supremacy and Succession. More was a formidable legal and political force. To beat him Henry had his silent protest criminalised as treason.
This image was part of a larger project about ten years ago, where Wassall gagged multiple statues around London. Feeling political winds changing, she was concerned about the ways morality and decency were being silenced.
A silver marionette puppet pirouettes between religion, politics and modernity in the piece ‘I wish the hand was silver’. A black wooden hand hangs high on a wall and holds a silver marionette puppet, with the three symbols of Abrahamic religions.
The silver pieces hang elegantly on long wires and like fragmented mirrors reflect back glimpses of the viewer and their surroundings. Light spots and shadows of the religious symbols are cast around the room, sometimes motionless and sometimes moving, as they embody the inevitable light and shade of life and belief. Dating back to 2014, this piece exemplifies how Wassall’s work feels as relevant today as the day it was made.
James Payne (Author of ‘Great Art Explained’) notes ‘Her works are, at times, as familiar as they are unknown. They are puzzles and conundrums that, at first glance, have their own logic but, on closer inspection, belong to another world entirely. Wassall is a modern-day surrealist and, like them, uses contradictory details to challenge our visual habits, asking us to re-examine our presumptions and create new ones.’
EXHIBITION CALENDAR
•Private View: 10th September 2025, 6 – 8.30 pm
•Artist’s Talk: Nicole Wassall in conversation with Arjun Sajip, Web Editor, ApolloMagazine – 17th September 2025, 6.30 – 8.30 pm
•Family Saturday: 20th September 2025, 12 – 3 pm
DATES & OPENING HOURS:
11th September – 7th October 2025
Weekdays, 11 am – 5 pm (by appointment) please email info@tmlighting.com
VENUE:
TM Lighting Gallery, 7 Cubitt Street, London WC1X 0LN
www.tmlighting.com
The exhibition is generously supported by TM Lighting
See also: Silverstone Unveils New Sculpture Park
