Invitation opening exhibition Convenient Freeze by T Y Gutter

Friday February 7, 2025, 5-7 pm. Buurtkamer Over de Brug, Isaac Titsinghkade 123, 1018 LL Amsterdam

Opening hours: February 10-April 25, 2025. Tuesday till Friday, 10 am-1 pm.

In times of uncertainty, loss, and confusion, sometimes all it takes to find clarity is to pause—remaining silent and observant until light emerges. Company brings solace. Seeing ourselves reflected in others, mirrored in their thoughts and echoed in their words, provides validation and a sense of safety—an anchor in rough seas.
Convenient Freeze, T Y Gutter’s latest project, displays and illustrates the echo chambers of our times.

This project presents a series of handmade soft sculpture reliefs featuring embroidered smiling faces. A smile is a powerful nonverbal communication tool, used to connect, reassure, and build rapport with others. In this artwork, it is instead portrayed as a form of paralysis—a desperate attempt to maintain the notion that everything is fine, keeping things at bay and signaling that you pose no threat.

Made in the summer of 2024 and affected by the state of affairs worldwide and at home, the working process was meditative and reflective, internal and external. With this work, T Y Gutter is curiously returning to soft sculpture, a medium the artist stepped away from years ago.

Bio

T Y Gutter is an Amsterdam-based artist and designer working across fine art, film, and activism. After graduating from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2003 and continuing his studies at the Dutch Art Institute, he has exhibited internationally and collaborated with renowned art initiatives and publications.

In addition to his art practice, Gutter has worked as an art director and set designer for acclaimed film and television productions, including the Emmy-nominated The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2023). He also teaches workshops at institutions across Europe and is dedicated to supporting LGBT+ refugees and emerging artists through activism and education.