A fleeting moment of infinity
I often find myself attracted by unexpected connections in what seem to be polar opposites. Hasan Ali Kadiwala’s meditative, spiritual paintings guide us into the infinity of our inner world, a gesture that is echoed in Balland-Galante’s bold sculptures. Like spaceships, they take us on a journey leading both inwards and outwards, offering a spiritual progression towards other worlds and the boundlessness of the universe. This continuity mirrors what we find ourselves confronted with every day: An apocalyptic message in which hope can be found nevertheless.
Hasan Ali Kadiwala’s work is shaped by memory, spirituality, and abstraction. It focuses on the manifestation of inner life and the rhythm of faith, drawing inspiration from Urdu and Arabic text, Islamic poetry and architecture, as well as the atmosphere of daily prayers in his native village Vaghrol in Gujarat, India linked with the fluid movement of natural phenomena.
The Arabic script in his work is not simply a visual element; it holds personal history and emotional weight. It is used to invoke atmosphere, time, and to experience something to be felt deeply, beyond the act of reading.
His creative process is intuitive. Materials are chosen based on the emotional tone the artist wishes to evoke and guide the evolution of each piece. He works with wood, using textures formed through burning, scraping, and laser cutting, often layering these with acrylics or oil paints. In printmaking, he primarily uses etching, especially aquatint, to achieve atmospheric depth. These processes allow to reflect the complexity of memory: its fragments, its textures, and its quiet power. During his visit to the village, he also documents moments through photography, capturing fleeting gestures, human rituals, birds in flight. These observations become visual notes, influencing form and content of his studio practice.
Kadiwala aims to deepen the connection between text, memory, and abstraction. Birds increasingly appear as metaphors of rhythm, migration, and spirituality mirroring the presence of Azaan (the call to prayer) and the layered emotional history it carries. The work reflects on the thresholds between sight and sensation and the sacred moments hidden in the ordinary.
The abstract sculptures by artist duo Claudia Galante and Juliette Balland present an unexpected continuity to Hasan Ali Kadiwala’s practise. Where Kadiwala’s pieces invite the viewer to a spiritual exploration of our inner worlds, this collection of works titled ‘Find Your Mad Max’ is inspired by the magnetic power of the universe, nomadic space exploration and an escape from an apocalyptic world in constant social and political flux.
Mad Max asks aptly: "Where must we go, we who wander this wasteland, in search of our better selves?" Here, we are taken on a journey of spiritual progression from inside ourselves towards the infinite universe – from “the Atman to the Nirvana” of Hinduism.
This series of sculptural collages – a fleet of spaceships of random, oblique shapes and textures, including semi-precious stones, crystals and bespoke settings – open the possibility of a communion between humanity and the universe, where journeys to new dimensions lead us towards greater cosmic awareness and an evolution towards a new state of being. The natural materials question the relationship between the planet and the cosmos, the ethical responsibility we have towards our planet, and our survival within the chaos. Mirrors reflect our reality and reveal new dimensions and new truths, while the talismanic symbolism taken from ancient objects unites past and present. Memory and imagination converge in the pursuit of a greater truth.
The works reflect our quest for adventure, exploration, and the search for a better reality, where new frontiers are forged and existing boundaries are pushed to their limits. The prospect of renewal balances out the danger of the unknown. Our aim to reach spiritual transcendence is finally possible through advancing our relationship with the infinite.
Balland-Galante play with opposites: the open and the closed, the reflective and the solid, the heavy and the light, the symbolic and the abstract. Each piece is a physical metaphor. It is designed to be felt and establishes itself in the space around it, manifesting its identity through its material presence as well as its metaphysical one, ultimately bringing about a sense of contemplation and peace: The spiritual power of matter is an evolutionary force.
Hasan Ali Kadiwala was born in Siddhpur, Gujarat and is currently based in Vadodara.
He holds a BFA in Painting from M.A. Parikh Fine Arts College, Palanpur, and an MFA in Graphic Arts (Printmaking) from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda.
He has been awarded several fellowships and awards, including the 2025 Immerse Fellowship, the 2025 State Lalit Kala Academy Award (Gujarat), the 2024 CLKA Open Hand Studio Scholarship (Chandigarh), the State Lalit Kala Academy Scholarship (Gujarat), and the 2022 ‘Elephant in the Room’ Fellowship from the Conflictorium Museum in Ahmedabad. His work has been exhibited at galleries and institutions such as Method Gallery (Mumbai & Delhi, 2025), Nine Fish Gallery (Mumbai), Anant Art Gallery (Noida), off Ludlow Gallery (USA), and the National Art Gallery (Maldives). This is his first exhibition in London.
Balland-Galante are set designer and artistic director Juliette Balland and jewellery designer and Bioenergy therapist Claudia Galante. The pair met in 2011 studying bioenergy healing and began their creative collaboration, resulting in unique and often meditative art pieces. They are based in London.
Their work has been exhibited at various galleries and fairs, including Renata Fabbri Gallery (Milan) and at Geneva Art Fair in 2022, Serena Morton Galery (London, 2019), Artemonte-Carlo (Monte Carlo, 2016) and Marc Jancou Gallery (Geneva, 2016).