03.05.2026-05.16.2026
What Is Really Matter
Sylvie Lambert
The unfamiliar environments of Sylvie Lambert (b. 1984, Montréal) in which decor, reality, fantasy and fiction intertwine call into question what is normal. Shaped by the artist’s personal journey, her inquiries result in narratives which can be equally poetic, humorous, particularly of the second degree, and slightly dystopic, portraying subjects which seem, at times, incongruous.
This spring, GOWEN present What Is Really Matter, the first solo exhibition by Canadian-French artist. Following her participation in several of the gallery’s recent group presentations, the show unveils a brand new body of work produced predominantly since 2025.
Marking a decisive evolution in Lambert’s artistic practice, the exhibition comprises around eighteen paintings and drawings, executed in oil, acrylic, and coloured pencil, and includes a specially conceived wallpaper installation created from magnolia leaves. Together, these works articulate a sustained reflection on the notion of matter - understood simultaneously as solid substance and as an invisible, spiritual, or energetic force that exceeds material definition.
Central to the exhibition is the idea of cyclical balance and interrelation. Lambert’s work reflects how these concepts, present in the seasons, the human body, nature, and life itself create a whole, within which everything is understood as part of a cycle, and where each ending opens into renewal. This balance unfolds across physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions, finding expression in rhythms, where human, natural, and inner realms remain in continuous dialogue.
Image
Sylvie Lambert, Ego-Construction, 2025
Acrylic on canvas, 120 x 200 cm
Courtesy of the Artist and GOWEN
© Claude Cortinovis