PRISM: Revealing the Spectrum of Contemporary Art
Mathew Simpson, Clint, 102 x 102cm, Oil on canvas,2026, $2000
There is something remarkable about a prism. At first glance, light appears singular and complete, yet as it passes through a prism it separates into a spectrum, revealing colours that have always been present but previously unseen. The prism does not create complexity. It reveals it. This simple phenomenon became the conceptual foundation for PRISM, an exhibition celebrating the reanchoring of ROMULUS at the World Trade Centre Melbourne.
As a curator, I have always been fascinated by the relationships that develop between artworks when they occupy the same space. Individual works possess their own histories, intentions and visual languages, yet when thoughtfully brought together they begin to influence one another. Unexpected connections emerge, contrasts become meaningful and new interpretations become possible. Curating is the careful composition of an experience in which every work contributes to a larger conversation and where the exhibition itself becomes a work of creative expression.
The title PRISM reflects this curatorial vision. Just as a prism reveals the hidden spectrum contained within light, the exhibition reveals the richness of contemporary artistic practice through the coming together of diverse creative voices. Each artist contributes a distinct perspective shaped by their own materials, processes and experiences. Collectively, these practices demonstrate how contemporary art continues to evolve through curiosity, experimentation and dialogue, creating an exhibition in which every work enriches the experience of the next.
Painting has continually evolved in response to new ideas, new materials and new ways of seeing. The artists brought together in PRISM reflect this ongoing evolution. Their practices span abstraction, figuration and expanded approaches to painting, investigating gesture, colour, line, texture, light and materiality. Together they demonstrate the breadth of contemporary practice while celebrating painting as a medium of continual exploration and renewal.
Line emerges as one of the exhibition’s defining visual languages. Peter Brook investigates line through geometric order, allowing proportion, balance and colour relationships to establish clarity and precision. Elizabeth Gleeson’s intricate compositions employ repetition, ornament and symmetry to create rhythmic structures that reward sustained observation. Matthew Simpson constructs his paintings through accumulations of energetic gestural lines, creating compositions where movement becomes structure and every mark contributes to an evolving visual rhythm. Keith Ross employs line through observation and figuration, while Gerard Russo extends line beyond the painted surface through engraved imagery activated by strategically integrated illumination. Fiona Johnston’s paintings explore the expressive relationship between colour, line and organic form. Regina Kaluzny contributes a contemplative figurative perspective in which expressive line, patterned surfaces and restrained colour create a quiet dialogue between figure and space. Across these diverse practices, line becomes rhythm, structure, gesture, narrative and emotion, demonstrating its remarkable expressive potential.
Colour forms another conversation that unfolds throughout the exhibition. In some works it establishes harmony and balance. In others it becomes atmospheric, luminous or emotionally charged. Subtle tonal relationships invite quiet contemplation, while bold chromatic contrasts generate energy and intensity. Throughout the exhibition, colour shapes perception, guides the eye and creates emotional resonance, revealing its capacity to communicate ideas beyond language.
Materiality is equally central to the exhibition. Surface becomes a place where ideas are realised through process, inviting viewers to experience the physical presence of each work as closely as its imagery. Layering, texture, gesture and the distinctive qualities of different materials reveal the traces of each artist’s decisions, celebrating craftsmanship, experimentation and the intelligence embedded within the act of making.
Atmosphere and emotion flow throughout the pieces making up the exhibition in equally compelling ways. Fiona Johnston’s luminous compositions explore transformation through fluid colour and organic forms inspired by the rhythms of the natural world. Doris (Xinzhi) Li contributes a deeply expressive visual language in which fluid forms, luminous colour and layered painterly gestures continually shift between abstraction and suggestion. Her work enriches the exhibition’s exploration of perception and emotion, demonstrating how colour and movement communicate experiences that are deeply felt as well as visually experienced. Together these practices reveal the capacity of contemporary painting to engage the senses and the imagination.
Together the artworks gradually reveal an internal rhythm. Geometry heightens the experience of gesture. Textured surfaces deepen our awareness of light. Figuration contributes to our understanding of abstraction. Every artwork adds to an unfolding dialogue in which meaning is created through relationships as much as through individual works. PRISM encourages slow looking, curiosity and reflection, rewarding viewers with new connections each time they return to the conversation.
PRISM also celebrates the reanchoring of ROMULUS at the World Trade Centre Melbourne. This new location provides an opportunity to continue presenting thoughtfully curated exhibitions that connect artists with collectors, designers, architects and the broader community. It reflects an ongoing commitment to supporting contemporary artistic practice while creating opportunities for meaningful engagement with the ideas, materials and creative processes that define our time.
Like light passing through a prism, every artist in this exhibition offers a distinctive way of seeing the world. Individually, each work possesses its own integrity and visual language. Together, they reveal a rich spectrum of ideas, materials and perspectives that celebrates the vitality, diversity and continuing evolution of contemporary artistic practice.
Written by
July 27, 2026
Exhibition Details
PRISM
Exhibition
30 July to 27 August 2026
Opening Celebration
Friday 7 August 2026
6.00 pm to 8.00 pm
Venue
ROMULUS Folio Gallery
Level 3, Tower 3
World Trade Centre Melbourne
18 to 38 Siddeley Street
Docklands VIC 3008
Featuring
Elizabeth Gleeson
Peter Brook
Matthew Simpson
Fiona Johnston
Keith Ross
Gerard Russo
Doris (Xinzhi Li)
Regina Kaluzny