Future Universe

14 October - 1 November 2025
Velvet Lobster Gallery, Sydney, NSW
With Susie Idiens, Nuha Saad and Helen Smith - Curated by Michelle Chanique

Future Universe - Exhibition Essay

Future Universe brings together works by Daniel Hollier, Suzie Idiens, Nuha Saad and Helen Smith, to explore what the future might look like or at least how it might feel. There are no flying cars here, but there is a lot of form, colour, reflection, and abstraction. The future, as this show suggests, might be less about science fiction and more about shifting perception, playful structure, and quiet transformation.

Daniel Hollier’s abstract constructions, investigate the poetry of the observed and the material and illusory qualities of paint. The surface of the works and their investigation of object, illusion and space encourage active observation and physical engagement.

Suzie Idiens, working exclusively in shades of white, shifts her focus from colour to surface and form. Her sleek, sculptures explore subtle variation, encouraging close observation. In stripping things back, she proposes a futur built on clarity and restraint.

Nuha Saad brings vibrancy and cultural reference into the mix. Drawing on architectural ornament and vivid colour, her work reframes historical forms through a contemporary, joyful lens, suggesting a future that embraces identity, hybridity, and play.

Helen Smith offers a slower, more meditative vision. Through gradients, transparency, and minimal form, she explores light, time, and atmosphere—reminding us that the future may emerge gradually, not abruptly. Rather than imagining a single future, Future Universe opens space for multiple interpretations, some loud, some quiet, all intriguing for how the future might unfold. It’s not a prediction, but an invitation: to look, to imagine, and maybe to rethink what “future” even means.

Michelle Chanique