Tanya Leighton, Los Angeles is pleased to announce ‘Heatwork’, a solo exhibition by Nicole Ondre. The exhibition presents a series of knotted ceramic sculptures adapted from mathematical models. Knots imply a physical relation. To think of a knot is to consider how forms get tied down, get stuck, or are looped back on themselves. Working with knots is part of an everyday tactile habit. In this body of work, the artist’s starting point is knot theory, a mathematical subfield of topology. These knots are classified as ‘prime knots’, closed loops that contain a specific order of crossings and cannot be untangled or reduced into a composite form. Ondre’s knots are not taken from everyday life — they are polymorphous, infinite curves that maintain their original sequence despite the distortion they undergo in becoming sculpture. Nicole Ondre (born in 1986 on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia) lives and works in Vancouver. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘Pirl’ at CSA Space in 2022 and ‘Blood Knot’ at Unit 17 in 2018, both in Vancouver. Ondre’s work was included in a two-person exhibition, ‘The Eyes Have Walls’, with Mina Totino at the West Vancouver Art Museum in 2020, curated by Hilary Letwin. Other recent exhibitions include ‘Heart View Knot Bird’ at Tanya Leighton, Los Angeles in 2022 and ‘High Anxiety’ at Monica Reyes Gallery, Vancouver in 2021. Since 2010, Ondre has also worked collaboratively with artist Vanessa Disler as Feminist Land Art Retreat. The exhibition will be open Tuesday to Saturday, 11–5pm. Image: Nicole Ondre 8₁₀, 2023 Detail