Mary Stephenson and Dirk Stewen: Hue

17 Jan-21 Mar 2026

Credit: Mary Stephenson and Dirk Stewen, courtesy Maureen Paley, London

Overview

Maureen Paley is pleased to present Hue, an exhibition at the gallery of new work by Mary Stephenson and Dirk Stewen.

At first glance Mary Stephenson’s paintings appear to be defined by singular fields of colour but hidden within the saturated layers of paint subtle forms and surfaces begin to emerge that suggest the folds and drapes of fabric, architectural shapes and enclosed interiors. These arenas that take form through layers of colour reference personal narratives and markers in time. She initially works with chalk to map out contours and angles, allowing her pigments to seep into the canvas while delicate lines that are reminiscent of fine threads or slivers of light complete the compositions – tethering the beholder. These paintings are of liminal spaces and confound a logical sense of scale and spatial arrangement – shifting between depictions of colossal structures and minuscule forms. Such oscillations evoke the irregular and non-linear ways in which buildings and sites of memory are perceived, recorded, and recalled.

Dirk Stewen holds a similar concern for the material specificity and instability that hold and define his paintings. Presented here are works from two related series. In two opened catalogue pages that are pinned to the wall birds appear, taking flight in carefully applied brush strokes and flecks of ink. These are drawn onto open pages from Skira art catalogues published in the wake of WWII and sourced by the artist around the world. These are from entries on Watteau and Fragonard – with the plate images hidden from view or carefully ripped from the page. Examples from his more figurative works are also produced on paper that was made in the 1940s, at a period where material scarcity resulted in unusual substances like potato starch and recycled paper being added. These elements unintentionally create unique reactions with the ink and gouache that pool and bleed together – gently defining illusive bodies that appear in dialogue with each other.

Mary Stephenson (b. 1989 London, UK) lives and works in London. She graduated from the Royal Academy Schools, London in 2023 and the Glasgow School of Art in 2011. Works by Stephenson are included in the Loewe Art Collection, Madrid, and the Government Art Collection, London.

Dirk Stewen (b. 1972, Dortmund, Germany) lives and works in Hamburg and Amsterdam. Works by Dirk Stewen are included in institutional collections including the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles and the Collection of Contemporary Art of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn.

Artists