Samantha Holmes

“In the series Geometric Applications, steel lattices trace the distorted geometries created by projecting perfect quasi crystalline patterns onto the objects of everyday life. A pattern found in both the mystic ornament of Medieval Islam and the molecular structures of modern physics, the tiling represents the notion of an underlying order, be it spiritual or scientific, rendered illegible by the disorder of modern life. As the metal lattice stretches forward into space, shadows fall on the wall behind, tangling with the form itself so that object and space, light and shadow operate as one. My work recontextualizes sacred forms and materials within a modern urban setting to explore the disparity between the certainties of ideology and the fractured nature of contemporary living. By simultaneously adopting and distorting these familiar forms, I express both our desire for and disconnect from the promises of faith.”

**Samantha Holmes,** **Structural Play**
Courtesy of the artist and JHB Gallery, New York

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Samantha Holmes is a New York–based artist whose work explores the impact of distortion on patterns sourced from science, religion, and art history. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Palazzo Fortuny (Venice), in conjunction with the 2015 Venice Biennale, the Bronx Museum of the Arts (New York), and the Sharjah Art Museum (United Arab Emirates). Her public art commissions include Mundillo (Little World), a large-scale sculptural commission for the NYC Department of Transportation in partnership with Bronx River Art Center in 2020. The work was installed at West Farms Square, The Bronx, NY, and at 97th Street and Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY. The artist has additionally produced public installations for Riverside Park (New York), Franconia Sculpture Park (Minnesota), and the ARTPLAY Design Center (Moscow). She is recipient of the 2018 Meyer Family Award for Contemporary Art, as well as the 2011 International GAEM Art Prize from the Museum of the City of Ravenna, Italy, which holds her work in its permanent collection. She holds degrees from Harvard University (BA, Visual and Environmental Studies, 2006), and the Accademia di Belle Arti in Ravenna (MFA, Experimental Mosaic, 2014). Holmes is the founder and designer of commercial mosaic studio Motivo Mosaic.