To Spite One's Face is a solo exhibition by Luke Chiswell in Gallery 2. Featuring sculptural installation, Chiswell presents a process-based approach to themes of self-destruction, ecology and our relationship to nature.

Delving into the interconnectedness between humanity and the environment, Chiswell's practice is deeply concerned with materiality and meaning. This installation features a meticulously sand-cast bronze tree branch turned upside down with axe heads at the bottom of each branch. The branch, originally wood, is now rendered in lifeless metal, with preserved wood grain emphasising the stark transition from life to death, utilising the very tool that determines the fate of the material it once was.

As natural beings, humans paradoxically contribute to the destruction of nature. The axes appear to support the branch, yet they ultimately lead to its demise. Chiswell’s works bring to light the often overlooked origins of natural objects, encouraging a recognition of our place within the natural world and engaging with contemporary concerns of ecology, preservation and our relationship with nature.