British artist Nat Faulkner has opened a new solo exhibition titled 'Strong Water' at Camden Art Centre, exploring themes of transformation, alchemy, and photographic processes. The show features works that incorporate light-sensitive chemicals like iodine, sculptures, and photographic prints, including a large-scale photograph of scrap metal printed on collaged paper. Faulkner, who won the Emerging Artist Award at Frieze in 2024, describes his studio-darkroom as a collaborative 'machine' that produces works through indirect interventions.
The exhibition matters because it showcases a rising artist who pushes the boundaries of photography by treating it as a material and chemical process rather than a purely representational medium. Faulkner's focus on invisible transformations—such as the bleaching of iodine by sunlight or the unfurling of a fern—offers a meditative, process-driven approach that challenges conventional notions of artistic creation. The show also highlights Camden Art Centre's role in nurturing emerging talent, following Faulkner's recent award recognition.