Mewl

Bibeau Krueger is proud to present Mewl, an exhibition by Naomi Hawksley, marking the artist’s debut in New York City. Mewl establishes a study on identity, choice, and the subtle, unspoken facets of internal experience, articulated through graphite drawings and wax sculpture. The term ‘mewl,’ a soft, plaintive cry, captures the quiet vulnerability and introspective nature that permeates Hawksley's work. Her graphite drawings depict figures in contemplative states, their interactions with horses or mirrors evoking a symbiotic exchange with their surroundings. These motifs epitomize the lasting navigation between internal desires and external expectations. The stacked substrates making up each drawing introduce a dynamic quality, allowing a fluid interplay of forms and dialogue within the composition, emphasizing the artist’s engagement with form and the inherent flexibility of the medium. Hawksley’s interest in the pursuit of perfection is established through characters who, in their love and subsequent imitation of others, achieve a semblance of freedom, yet constantly remain in fear of mistakes. This dance between conflicting morals and relentless pressure to choose reflects a deeper existential inquiry. The physical form, with its constraints and limitations, complicates this navigation, questioning our flexibility within unchanging confines. Naomi Hawksley (b. 2000) is an artist living and working in San Francisco, CA, Hawksley received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL (2022). Recent solo exhibitions include: Sulk Chicago, Chicago, IL (2023), group shows include: Never Change at Night Club in Minneapolis, MN (2023), Naomi Hawksley Et Daniel Zeballos at Weatherproof in Chicago, IL (2022), Fables at Povos in Chicago, IL (2022), Bio Gallery, Seoul, Korea, Et al., San Francisco, CA (2024), Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA, and White Noise, Seoul, Korea.