TWO LOST SOULS
Interview with Christian Palmer ahead of his exhibition at 2B Gallery
Two Lost Souls invites viewers into a world where science, mysticism, and the human experience collide, revealing the hidden vibrations and patterns that connect us all. Interview with Christian Palmer ahead of his exhibition at 2B Gallery:
Q&A
Your work blends scientific exploration, mysticism, and the observation of life’s patterns. How do you balance these different influences – cymatics, sound healing, cosmic contemplation – when deciding what ultimately becomes part of a piece?
In this body of work I am the observer, life drawing, witnessing strength through vulnerability, but also experimenting with elements, water and fire and contemplating how life functions on a scale that is beyond my capacity to fully comprehend. These are the observations of a wandering mind. It seems we are all stardust vibrating at a certain frequency. There are fractal, asymmetrical patterns that repeat themselves throughout expressions of life from a cellular level to a cosmic scale encompassing everything in-between. We are not seperate, just disconnected. We are part of a whole soul-a-system. Everything requires balance and polarity is integral to providing equilibrium. As much as we can know through technological advancements that are rewriting the laws of physics in a quantum realm of entanglement or through ancient mysticism and faith based traditions there is so much more we don’t have the answers to. Human senses only detect a fraction of physical phenomena so our perception of reality is very limited. Roughly 95% of the universe’s mass-energy content is unknown or unquantifiable with current technology and understanding. Intellect and knowledge are limited but maybe we can glimpse nature’s wisdom in moments of mindfulness where imperfection highlights real beauty and mistakes push life in new directions.
This stuff goes through my head while I procrastinate before finally embarking on a frenzied period of creative endeavour . I do cymatics experiments and infuse water with vibrations at various frequencies and use the water to mix my paint and scorch my frames with a heat gun to watch the alchemy of fire. I don’t know if it water retains the data from the frequency but its interesting to me and makes me curious. I go to sound healing gatherings to experience the effects for myself. Learn how ancient cultures use sound and frequency and see those practices kept alive by first nations people, and religious orders in their chanting. Everything is vibration, energy, frequency according to science. Maybe a space where a soul can be found too.
Your previous exhibition titled ‘Days Are Numbered’ was a sell-out success. What is the fundamental shift or progression that led you to the theme of your latest exhibition ‘Two Lost Souls’?
‘Days Are Numbered’ dealt heavily with time as a measured unit – clocks, calendars, distance. The journey in ‘Two Lost Souls’ moves inward. While I still see the fragility of our ecosystem, this new body of work is less about the macro fear and more about the micro experience of being human. It’s about being an observer losing myself in the space between here and now, witnessing strength through vulnerability. The ‘lost souls’ aren’t necessarily tragic; they are simply wandering, searching, and vibrating.
The images you’ve shared feature figures that appear simultaneously vulnerable and strong, marked by almost fractal, organic patterns. What inspired this particular composition and technique?
That’s a key observation. The pieces are observations from life drawing, a practice that intimately captures the human form. The patterns you see – the branching, asymmetrical lines – are a reflection of a core idea: that we are all stardust vibrating at a certain frequency. These fractal patterns repeat themselves from a cellular level to a cosmic scale. I want the figures to show that we are not separate, just momentarily disconnected. The patterning highlights how we are all part of a larger “soul-a-system.”
Your background is your time spent studying at Central Saint Martins fine art and the urban street art movement. How does this duality influence the creation of these new, highly textured works?
My work has always had a play on words and an edge, often using outsider animals to comment on the human condition. That street art influence is about unrestricted communication. For “Two Lost Souls,” the collision is expressed through balance and polarity. I am exploring what we know (intellect, technology) versus what we can only glimpse (nature’s wisdom, ancient mysticism). The visual texture and the raw framing are about grounding these cosmic ideas in something physical, something that feels found or weathered.
You mention some interesting methods in your process, including cymatics experiments and infusing water with frequencies before mixing your paint. Can you elaborate on this?
I’m curious about the unquantifiable – that 95% of the universe we can’t detect. Science tells us everything is vibration, energy, frequency. I conduct cymatics experiments – visualising sound – and then use the water infused with those specific vibrations to mix my paint. I can’t quantify if the water retains the data, but it’s an active way of seeking to inject that underlying energetic structure into the work. It’s an act of faith that maybe, just maybe, I’m creating a space where a soul can be “found” through frequency.
You’ve worked extensively with conservation and charitable projects, recently with the Ati Tribe in The Philippines. Does that focus on community and human connection feed into this search for “equilibrium” in the new exhibition?
Absolutely. My charitable work – whether for animal welfare or supporting kids’ education – is about recognising fragility and the need for support. That translates directly to the philosophical ideas here. We are fragile. Our current perception of reality is limited by our senses. The idea of a “soul-a-system” requiring balance means recognising that our disconnectedness is the problem. These moments we share together – the viewing of the art, the moment of reflection – are so precious.
What is your message to those planning to visit?
This exhibition is an opportunity for mindfulness. Come and lose yourself in the detail. Recognise the imperfection that highlights real beauty. I hope these paintings, these small windows into moments and dream time, allow you to glimpse nature’s wisdom and feel the profound connection that exists underneath all the chaos. It’s an invitation to find the ‘soul’ in the ‘system.’
‘Two Lost Souls’ opens at the 2B Gallery on Sunday 14 December. www.2B.MT/CP
It seems we are all stardust vibrating at a certain frequency. I see fractal, asymmetrical patterns that repeat themselves throughout expressions of life, from a cellular level to a cosmic scale, encompassing everything in-between and beyond. We are not separate, just disconnected. We are part of a whole soul-a-system.
