ON NOW:
To pass from one dream to another — Passer d’un rêve à l’autre
19 September – 13 December 2026
Curated by Catherine Nichols
Venue: Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs (Textile and Decorative Arts Museum)
34 Rue de la Charité, 69002 Lyon, France
Languages of Love 2026, acrylic on linen, diptych: 190 cm x 320 cm. Commissioned by the 18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art, produced with the support of the Fitri Graham Foundation. Installation view photos: Emmanuelle Firman. Detail photos: Jerzy Goliszewski
It’s three years since I’ve seen Pakdhe
and there’s a lot that’s happened in those three years:
in his world on one side of the planet,
in my world on the other side,
and everywhere in between.
I gift him a bunch of rambutan
that turns out to be a meagre, sour version of what grows abundantly in his front yard,
and a special box of foreign biscuits with a name
that turns out to mean something offensive in his first language.
Pakdhe warmly welcomes me, his niece, the way he knows best:
his wife, Budhe, serves me hot sweet tea
and jovially traps me with a feast enough for today
and tomorrow
and possibly the last three years
and…
‘Come over here Ida!’
‘Inggih Pakdhe.’
Yes Uncle.
Pakdhe beckons me into the next room and we sit together
amongst piles of books
and papers
and pens
and…
‘Sit here sit here, I’ve been thinking of you —’
‘Inggih Pakdhe.’
‘actually I’ve done something for you Ida.’
‘Inggih Pakdhe.’
‘What I’ve done —’
‘Inggih.’
‘is —’
‘Inggih.’
‘I’ve calculated
for you —’
and he affectionately slaps me on the back and grins,
that toothy high-cheek-boned grin,
just like mine.
‘What I’ve done
is
I’ve calculated
exactly how long
you’ll be burning in hell.’
Oh how I’ve missed Pakdhe.
Selected works from the series Rough Notes/Quotes 2026-ongoing, acrylic and sizing on sandpaper, various grits, 28 cm x 23 cm. Commissioned by the 18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art, produced with the support of the Fitri Graham Foundation.
Spent (Rough Notes/Quotes #7) 2026, acrylic and sizing on 120 grit sandpaper, 28 cm x 23 cm.
On her deathbed:
“I wish I’d spent more time on Instagram!”
Wow! (Rough Notes/Quotes #10) 2026, acrylic and sizing on 100 grit sandpaper, 28 cm x 23 cm.
Wow! What’s her skin care routine?
Not having kids.
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Acknowledgements:
Translation of the stories to French: Marie Daumen.
Layout and design of the translations (vinyl lettering and A3 print out): Éloïse Michel.
Translation typefaces: Absans by Valerio Monopoli at collletttivo.it and Redaction Inclusive by Jeremy Mickel at mckltype.com and typotheque.byebyebinary.space.
Thanks also to: Khaled Kurbeh, Jeremy Ratib, Donia Jornod, Rob Crosse, Caitlin Hespe, Tahlia Raji, Karla Neumeyer, Dan Lie, Leyla Stevens, Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard and Zayne Armstrong, Annee Lawrence, Marie Flood, Richard Flood, Pranoto Ahmad Raji, BPA// Berlin program for artists, Fitri Graham Foundation, Catherine Nichols and the entire Lyon Biennale team.
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The Ida Lawrence All-You-Can-Curate Program – Open Call for Curators 2026, desperate networking skirt, digital print and hand-stitching on cotton. Image originally appeared in Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard & Zayne Armstrong’s Common Issues, Vol 2 2025.
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