Following his sold-out solo exhibition with the gallery in 2022, Memento Mori marks Hamlyn’s return to Moosey with a new body of work. Presented over a brief four-day period, the exhibition duration echoes the transience of its subject.
The title Memento Mori refers to an artistic tradition that encourages reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the temporary nature of worldly pleasures. Rooted in the visual language of still life painting, particularly the vanitas genre, this new body of work explores themes of beauty, indulgence, and impermanence. Hamlyn reimagines these ideas through nine meticulously crafted wall-based sculptures.
Each piece is sewn by hand using fabric and other materials, creating trompe l’oeil representations of familiar objects. These soft forms are then compressed, framed, and encased behind clear acrylic, transforming everyday items into preserved relics. Champagne bottles, candlelit chandeliers, cured meats, hourglasses, fast food, houseplants, and scenes from domestic interiors are rendered with hand sewn precision. By softening and flattening these objects, Hamlyn removes their original function. Food can no longer be eaten, candles will not burn, and moments of daily life are held in stillness. The process of preservation protects these scenes, but also prevents them from continuing. What remains are quiet reflections on time paused.
Across the works, references to classical luxury are placed alongside symbols of contemporary living. The contrast between elegance and familiarity, between handcrafted detail and playful distortion, creates a layered conversation about value, memory, and the rituals of consumption. Each work is staged like a silent performance, where objects take the place of actors. Within this still theatre, Hamlyn invites viewers to consider the beauty of ordinary moments, the illusion of permanence, and the delicate balance between presence and absence.
