the weight of light
julie stoneman
Venue: INSTINC Space, 39 Keppel Rd, #03-10 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Exhibition Duration: 23 April to 26 April 2026 | Wed-Fri, 1PM-7PM. Sat - Sun, 1PM-6PM
Opening Reception: 22 April 2026 (Wed.), 5:30PM–8:30PM | RSVP
Artist Talk: 25 April 2026 (Sat), 3-4PM | RSVP
brief
Granite is at the centre of Julie Stoneman’s sustained enquiry into complex, chaotic systems of deep geological time. Found across the globe, vast granite batholiths connect landforms and countries, forming deep structures that underpin the Earth’s surface. Used historically in sculpture and architecture for its durability and crystalline beauty, granite becomes in Julie’s work both material and metaphor for an elemental connector between cultures and geologies.
Her research moves into the microscopic realm of geological micrographs and thin rock sections revealed through polarized light. Within these images, mineral structures appear as an “ordered chaos”: a liminal field of refracted colour and light where geological time is compressed into intricate, shifting formations. Julie’s painting practice responds to this hidden complexity through layered processes of mark-making that echo crystalline growth over immense spans of time. The works unfold as accumulations of fine, sediment-like layers, suggesting both fragility and density.
During her residency in Singapore with INSTINC, Julie gathered fragments of local granite encountered across the city. A key point of reference is the Bukit Gombak granite micrographs photographed by Lin Yangchen at the Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, NUS. These were held, observed, and arranged into precarious studio assemblages, which informed painterly compositions shaped by balance, tension, and material intuition. Through gestural works on paper made with improvised tools and layered acrylic, Julie explores what she describes as a form of “geo-choreography”—the movement of Earth’s landmasses across billions of years rendered as rhythm, force, and disruption. This approach extends into large ink works, where fluid, thrown gestures evoke the scale and volatility of geological transformation.
Across the exhibition, Julie positions granite as both subject and system; an encounter with deep time that reveals geology as an interconnected, living complexity in which human materiality is also embedded. A reminder that we are made of the same deep matter we seek to understand.
BIO of Artist julie stoneman
Julie Stoneman is a visual artist with extensive experience across exhibitions and public art. Her evocative painting practice focuses on uncovering hidden visual dynamics within geological formations, drawing attention to the often unseen structures that shape our natural world.
Her most recent exhibition, Geo-Microcosms (2025, Moonah Arts Centre, Tasmania), was inspired by microscopic ‘thin section’ images of granite photographed under polarised light. Imbued with vibrating energy, granite refracts light through its layered crystals, producing vivid hues scientifically referred to by geologists as Interference Colours.
Julie’s contemporary paintings amplify these vibrant mineral colours and crystalline forms, transforming scientific imagery into immersive visual experiences. Her works invite viewers into micro worlds of structured chaos, where bright, translucent layers appear as floating, irregular forms against deep black backgrounds, echoing the view through a microscope.
Widely exhibited and collected, Julie’s work continues to captivate audiences through its unique intersection of art, science, and perception.
Website: https://fluxstudio.space/ | Instagram: @flux_studio_julie_stoneman
This project was made possible by the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, which supports the arts in regional and remote Australia.