Bambou Gili: The Nonexistent Night at Arsenal Contemporary
In the best possible way, there is something deeply unsettling about Bambou Gili’s (born USA, 1996) paintings. As I walked into the Arsenal Contemporary gallery, I was reminded of the scene from Hitchcock’s classic movie, Vertigo, when Kim Novak is illuminated by light coming in from the window, bathing her in a sinister green glow.
Neighborhood Sleep Paralysis, oil on linen
Yet, Gili’s work isn’t sinister, it’s enticing. Are we a fly on the wall late at night, watching intimate moments, or are we witnessing surreal flashes from a dream?
It’s hard not to love a painting of a woman in the nude, lying on a sofa, smoking a cigarette and reading a book by moonlight, while a cat sleeps at her feet, which is why my favourite from the show was ‘Lazy, Stupid, and Unconcerned (Be Yourself).
Lazy, Stupid, and Unconcerned (Be Yourself), oil on canvas
Other highlights include a girl loving clutching a bowl of noodles, all of which are slightly out of focus and a cat stretching on the window sill of a moonlit kitchen, mobile phone charging lead left plugged in on the counter.
The exhibition draws its title from the allegorical novel by the Italian author Italo Calvino, Il cavaliere inesistente. Calvino’s main character, Agilulf, is a brave, virtuous and loyal medieval knight who in fact exists as an empty suit of armor. Gili questions whether we are tricked into performing subjectivity and interrogates what is beyond mere appearances.
I Couldn't Help But Wonder... How Do I Make This About Me?, oil on canvas. | Strega Nona, oil on canvas
For a debut solo show, The Nonexistent Night is a very strong offering and I’m excited to see what is next for Bambou Gili.
Follow Bambou Gili on Instagram or find out more about her at the Night Gallery website