Derived from ‘numinous’ (meaning awakening spiritual awe) and ‘luminance’ (meaning the amount of light emitted or reflected from a surface), Celestial Numinance is an exhibition exploring the awe-inspiring beauty of cosmic phenomena.
Using photography, sculpture, scent and sound, viewers will be led through a multi-sensory exhibition that Sewell hopes will blur the lines between physical and metaphysical. Celestial Numinance features nine spheres or ‘dorodangos’ as stand-ins for the nine stars of the Orion Constellation. Reflecting on her choice of subject matter, Sewell admits that astronomy has always been at the forefront of her creative practice: “Early memories of dark star filled skies over our Waikato farm, astro photography as a student and watching a NASA documentary of images from space at the NASA center in New York City in 2012, are a few of the things that have fueled this lifelong fascination.”
A core part of Sewell’s artistic practice is the use of hikaru dorodango (which translated means “shiny mud dumpling”), a traditional Japanese art form where mud, sand and water are mixed to form a clay which is then slowly moulded into a sphere. Layer upon layer, more mud and sand are added and sculpted by hand to refine the form into a perfect sphere. Finally, the dorodango is polished until it shines. For Sewell, the spherical shape is a universal symbol of eternity, wholeness and unity.
UXBRIDGE’s Visual Arts Coordinator Zoë May is excited about the exhibition’s inclusion of sound and scent, “Visitors will experience just how masterfully Karen Sewell can interweave a multitude of different elements into a single experiential installation.” May continues, “Using augmented reality, we’ve even been able to expand the exhibition beyond the Malcolm Smith Gallery – that’s something unique to this exhibition.”
Supporting Celestial Numinance is an outdoor augmented reality artwork, Morning Star XR 2024. Sewell comments, “My intention with Morning Star XR is not only to create a visually captivating experience but also to provoke thought and dialogue.” Visitors are invited to use a QR code to open the augmented reality experience on their devices which, through the power of technology, will allow viewers to interact with the planet Venus. Even while the center closes down for the Christmas and New Year break, Morning Star XR will be available for the public to view and interact with at all times. According to May, “This is the first of its kind at UXBRIDGE, it’s really exciting to have a piece of art visitors can interact with on their own terms.”
Karen Sewell is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau whose impressive installations commonly incorporate sculpture, photography, painting, sound, scent and light. Her practise explores the intersection of art and spirituality.
Sewell holds a Master of Fine Arts (with Honours) in 2016 from Whitecliffe, College of Arts and Design. She is a recipient of the Waitakere Trust Art Awards’ Premier Award (2011), an award winner in the Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Awards (2024) and a finalist in the Estuary Art and Ecology Awards (2024). In 2022, Luminary I Luminare was exhibited in the biennial exhibition, Personal Structures, held in Venice.
