David Hanes Presents 'I Look' at RCA Degree Show in London
David Hanes, a Canadian and American painter born 1987 in Toronto and based between London and Berlin, exhibited twenty small oil paintings in a tight grid at the Royal College of Art's MA Painting Postgraduate Show in London, from 18 to 21 June 2026. The installation, titled 'I Look', reads as an abstract field of color from afar, but up close reveals forests, cabins, mountains, and rivers derived from studies made over five years of travel. Works such as 'I Fear Safety' (2025), 'Placeless' (2026), and 'Waiting for the Thaw' (2026) emphasize color and memory over literal description. Hanes begins with outdoor sketches, sometimes holding them for years before translating them into oil paintings. The title references On Kawara's date paintings, but Hanes replaces bare existence with temperature and feeling. The degree show lasted four days.
Key facts
- David Hanes exhibited 'I Look' at the Royal College of Art in London.
- The exhibition was part of the MA Painting Postgraduate Show.
- It ran from 18 to 21 June 2026.
- Twenty small oil paintings were hung in a tight grid on a single white wall.
- Works include 'I Fear Safety' (2025), 'Placeless' (2026), and 'Waiting for the Thaw' (2026).
- Hanes is Canadian and American, born 1987 in Toronto, based between London and Berlin.
- His process begins with outdoor observational sketches, sometimes held for years.
- The title references On Kawara's date paintings.
Entities
Artists
- David Hanes
- On Kawara
Institutions
- Royal College of Art
- Catapult Contemporary
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Berlin
- Germany
- Toronto
- Canada