In Holes and Corners

Workplace is pleased to announce artist James Cabaniuk’s latest exhibition In Holes and Corners, at The Italian Garden, Great Ambrook. Set to run for a limited time, 25 – 27 September, this site-specific project, supported by historian and writer Kate Hext, invites visitors to explore the historical significance of this Edwardian Garden as a private refuge for its curator Arthur Smith Graham, while reflecting on contemporary queer experiences. 

The Italian Garden, built in 1909 by Graham and designed by architect Thomas Henry Lyon, both gay men who lived in an era of criminalised repression, served has a hidden space for personal expression and intimate gatherings. Forgotten for decades, the garden has since been carefully restored by the current owners. 

Through paintings and mixed-media installation integrated into the fabric of the garden, In Holes and Corners, weaves together past and present queer narratives, exploring themes of privacy, identity and the fluidity of self-revelation. The exhibition invites visitors to contemplate how LGBTQ+ communities experience time and space differently, considering how Graham’s original vision of the garden as private retreat transforms when open to the public today. 

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of tours on 25 September, given by the artist and noted historian and writer Kate Hext. The exhibition will then be open by appointment only from 26 – 27 September.