PIERMARQ is pleased to present: The Dining Room Table, an exhibition of new work by Chicago-based artist Thérèse Mulgrew.

This is Mulgrew’s first exhibition at PIERMARQ* in Sydney.

Thérèse Mulgrew’s works of oil on canvas explore the complexity of vulnerability and desire, transforming personal experiences into visual narratives. Mulgrew’s style is defined by the formal elements of composition and lighting, creating an atmosphere that resonates with cinematic tension. Each painting presents a delicate exploration of connection and solitude, where fleeting moments of interaction are imbued with emotional depth and unspoken stories.

Mulgrew’s exhibition, The Dining Room Table, offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the still- life genre, focusing on the ritualistic and communal aspects of dining. Depictions of lavish spreads and refined tableware set against rich, textured tablecloths, not only celebrate the aesthetic qualities of dining but evoke the sensory experiences associated with shared moments at the table.

Known for her exploration of intimacy, Mulgrew transforms the table setting into a lush, cinematic tableau to investigate themes of connection and isolation. Scenes are illuminated by diffuse lighting, evoking a dreamlike quality, while tablescapes invite the viewer into a narrative defined by subtlety and meticulous detail. Glimmering wine glasses reflect light like fleeting glances, while hands brush against one another in gestures of passing a glass or reaching for a plate—transient touches suggesting moments of intrigue and unspoken longing. In Fruit and Caviar, Mulgrew displays a masterful use of oil paint to transform a luxurious, sumptuous banquet void of human figures into a poetic representation of the tension between connection and isolation, inviting reflection on the fleeting nature of intimacy and the emotional resonance of shared moments.

The exhibition draws upon influences from film, literature, and Mulgrew’s background in production and styling. She works with a filmmaker to stage and photograph the scenes before rendering them in boldly pigmented oil paints. Like a film still, the artist aims to capture a suspended, fleeting moment. Mulgrew stages each scene with precision, choreographing the interplay of light and shadow to amplify the mood of her compositions. Through this meticulous process, she highlights voyeuristic moments serving as fragments of larger narratives, offering the viewer a glimpse into a world that feels both familiar and enigmatic

Born in 1991 in Dubuque, Iowa, Mulgrew currently lives and works in Chicago, Illinois. Her debut exhibition was held at Freight and Volume Gallery in New York City in February 2020. In the same year, she was recognized as Saatchi Art’s 35 Under 35 Rising Stars. Mulgrew has participated in two group exhibitions at PIERMARQ* in Sydney, and her work was presented by PIERMARQ* at Untitled Miami in 2023 and EXPO Chicago in 2024.