Perception

A few lines and colors are all it takes for her to construct entire environments; our perception seamlessly fills in the blanks. In her new show Perception at Torch Gallery, Popel explores, more than ever, the boundary between abstract form and spatial experience.

Since 2004, Popel Coumou has been creating collages of spaces, a practice she describes as an ongoing investigation into materiality, form, and the human psyche. How do we relate to space? And how can an image be both abstract and simultaneously recognizable? While she does not work in formal series, this exhibition reveals clear developments within her cohesive body of work. Pushing her practice further, Popel embraces greater abstraction, offering even more space for interpretation. Recent works deepen this exploration of spatial perception by introducing physical three-dimensionality through folded cardboard and layered plexiglass. For her show Perception, she introduces a new material. Seeking to enhance the sculptural presence of her work and allow it to inhabit space more fully, Popel now works with aluminum. By printing directly onto aluminum, water-cutting the lines, and folding them by hand, she creates works with a distinct tactility. The colors in her work, still derived from photographs of the sky, form organic gradients that create even more illusion of depth. Though the material is new, the essence of her work and process remain the same.

Through this shift in material, Popel Coumou further intensifies the spatial and tactile qualities of her work and breaks with the traditional framing. She has discovered a new way to breathe life into her photography. For the first time one of her works will be presented as a stand-alone sculpture.

Popel’s research continues to expand beyond the gallery. Plans are already underway for a project in public space, an architectural integration of her work in a facade commissioned by Ymere (2027–2028). In addition, she will undertake a residency at the EKWC (European Ceramic Work Centre) in 2027, where she will further explore spatial form through the medium of ceramics.