A black and white abstract painting with splattered paint patterns in the upper left corner, diagonal lines in the upper right corner, a handwritten number sequence in the center, and dark streaks at the bottom.

Two to the Power of Seven explores repetition, counting and the significance we assign to particular numbers as a means of creating order and reassurance.

The number seven recurs throughout folklore and superstition, including the magpie rhyme’s “secret never to be told”. In the work, repeated marks accumulate into a system that is simultaneously controlled and obsessive. The painting considers how repetition can transform an arbitrary number into something charged with meaning, and how the act of counting itself can become a private form of protection.

Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, 2026

122cm x 91cm
Close-up of an abstract black-and-white painting with textured white patches on a black background and white brushstrokes on the right side.
Close-up of an abstract black-and-white painting with textured white patches on a black background and white brushstrokes on the right side.
Close-up of a white surface with black handwritten text that says "say" and "who?" in a casual style.