'Places have a special resonance for painter Emil Sands—besides the feeling of being grounded, he more often than not goes beyond a physical awareness of his surroundings to internalize the lingering feelings of his physicality. Bodies arise amidst these fleeting sensations as potentials of corporeality, each with its own complexities to unlock in an oil on linen painting. “I’ve always been very interested in looking at other people’s bodies,” Sands tells Galerie and adds, “not in a desirous way but instead I want to learn about their physicality.”'
'Next is a solo show in January at Victoria Miro’s Venice outpost, featuring new paintings which Sands created during a residency this fall granted by the Londoner gallery at La Serenissima... “I feel like I am in a dream here and water is a big part of it,” he says about his Venetian days. The water’s unparalleled medley with the land on the other hand has propelled Sands to discover uncharted feelings of anticipation for another encounter at every new corner, all to capture in painting.' — Osman Can Yerebakan
Photo: Lucas Creighton
