Between States
An essay by Luna Gui exploring material transformation, perception, and the making of WU.
Read →Luna Gui & Quanzhu Ma
WU (物 / 悟): A Material Dialogue
WU (物 / 悟): A Material Dialogue is a collaborative exhibition by Luna Gui and Quanzhu Ma exploring how material, perception, and spatial relationships emerge through different artistic approaches. Working with wood, plaster, paper, found materials, and the architecture of the gallery, the exhibition brought two distinct practices into dialogue—Ma's material transformations and Gui's ongoing investigation of perceived space.
Read the full exhibition introduction on Articulate Project Space →
Articulate Project Space
497 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt NSW 2040
1–23 August 2026
Opening: Saturday 1 August, 3–5 pm
Gallery open Friday–Sunday, 11 am–5 pm
Artist Talk: Sunday 16 August, 2-4 pm
INSTALLATION DOCUMENTATION
Approaching WU from the ground floor. Foreground work by Fiona Davies is part of site/situation at Articulate Project Space.
Entering WU from the stairwell, Articulate Project Space.
Installation view of WU (物 / 悟): A Material Dialogue.
Installation view of WU, with works by Luna Gui and Quanzhu Ma in spatial dialogue.
Selected works
burnt wood, acrylic on wood construction, paint on wall
approx. 93 × 80 × 18 cm
acrylic on wood construction
60 × 36 × 5.2 cm
plasterboard, veneer, sandpaper, charcoal
approx. 54 × 180 × 8 cm
Essay
Artist Biographies
Luna Gui
Luna Gui is a Sydney-based artist working across painting, object-making, and installation. Influenced by post-minimalist and formalist traditions, her practice explores how form, colour, and spatial relationships shape the experience of seeing. Through constructed forms and a reduced visual language, her installations invite viewers to encounter space as something that continually shifts through movement, perception, and attention. She holds an MFA and a BFA (Painting) from the National Art School and exhibits regularly within Sydney's independent art scene. She is the recipient of the John Olsen Prize for Drawing (Highly Commended), and her work is held in both private and public collections.
Quanzhu Ma
Quanzhu Ma is a contemporary artist based in Sydney whose practice centres on material process and elemental transformation. Working primarily with paper and wood, he employs actions such as burning, crushing, soaking, and exposure to weather to generate form through chance and repetition. Drawing on the concept of the Five Elements and natural processes, his work explores relationships between materials, time, and environmental forces, allowing matter to bear the traces of change. He holds a postgraduate degree from the National Art School and was the recipient of the Kaye Shumack Sunflower Drawing Prize.