‘Shallow Waters’, an exhibition by artist and photographer Michal Rubin, will take place from Monday 4 November to Saturday 30 November 2024 at SQFT Gallery.
In her new London show, Rubin documents a summer’s day along the River Tech in Céret, an escarpment of the French Catalan region. She intimately captures her family, at first restless, agitated by the heat, hunger and fatigue, then yielding to the joys of the cool, shallow waters. These moments feel familiar, nostalgic, transient glimpses of the viewers’ own lives. The viewer is transported by the tranquillity of the landscape and the casual framing of the compositions are almost dreamlike, an echo of another place, another time.
Rubin’s work explores people and relationships, in particular the intricacies of family ties. The artist invites the viewer to reconsider simple moments of daily life, to observe the nuances of shared experiences and connection. Shallow Waters touches on timeless themes of family dynamics, coming of age and childhood, hinting at the fleeting and universal nature of life.
Rubin says of her work:
“The camera’s accessible nature feels liberating, allowing me to be both an observer and an active participant—immersed in the scene yet distanced by the lens. It becomes a collaborative act with my subjects, born from a deep-seated desire to hold space and belong, as I navigate themes of detachment, disillusionment, and longing.”
In one photograph, three teenage girls sit on a rock, reluctantly gazing at the water. In another we see a girl laying back in the river, eyes closed, hair flowing, lost in the moment. Children play and explore as we see a family, with all its nuances and complexities, come together by the riverside on a warm, hazy afternoon.
Michal Rubin (Israel, 1977) received her BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts, in 2002 and her MFA from the Slade School of Fine Arts, in 2013. Over the years, Rubin found inspiration shooting those closest to her, her friends and family; creating a “visual diary of intimate portraits”. Rubin’s work was published in various fashion and lifestyle magazines, including The Guardian, NYTimes, Sunday Times, W Magazine, Telegraph, V magazine, Visionaire and many more. Her work was exhibited in various galleries and public spaces worldwide including group shows at Jerwood Space and Chisenhale Gallery, London; Gutman Museum and Rubin Museum, Tel Aviv; Prizmaspace, Istanbul. Today she lives with her husband and young boys in London and is still inspired by the “magic of everyday”.
Inhabiting a former antiquarian bookshop, just above SQFT design and architecture studios in Lisson Grove, SQFT Gallery is a new project by SQFT founder, Daniel Leon. The gallery is the natural progression of SQFT studios’ many artist collaborations and interests.
Open Monday to Friday 10am – 6pm
Curated by Silia Ka Tung.
The exhibition is free.
