5-50 Gallery is pleased to present Axis Mundi, a group exhibition featuring the work of Srishti Dass, Matt Macintosh, and Charles Sommer. The title of the show references the cosmic axis, ie. the connection between heaven and earth, symbolizing the artists’ engagement with structure, space, and the metaphysical. Running from March 8th to April 13th, 2025, Axis Mundi explores abstraction as a bridge between the personal and the universal. An opening reception will take place on March 8th from 4-7pm.
In mythology and philosophy, the axis mundi represents a cosmic axis, the connection between the physical and spiritual realms. In this exhibition, Dass, Macintosh, and Sommer engage with this concept through distinct yet interwoven approaches to abstraction. Their works function as portals—compositional thresholds that suggest alternate spaces, architectural blueprints of imagined worlds, and coded symbols that point beyond their surfaces.
Srishti Dass (b. 1999, New Delhi, India) explores the intersections of identity, heritage, and spirituality through intricate, architectural compositions. Drawing on urban environments and sacred iconographies, Dass constructs vibrant, layered spaces that exist in a liminal zone between abstraction and mysticism. Now based in Brooklyn, she received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 2021.
Matt Macintosh (b. 1976, Guelph, Canada) engages deeply with the history of painting, using traditional materials to construct compositions that reference the language of Western art while pushing its boundaries. His precise yet organic geometries create dynamic tension, reflecting the interplay between form and formlessness. Macintosh holds a Master of Visual Studies from the University of Toronto and has exhibited widely in Canada, the US, and Europe.
Charles Sommer investigates abstraction as a means of world-building, drawing on science fiction, queerness, and speculative architecture to create graphite compositions that function as autonomous objects. His meticulous process of layering, embossing, and polishing graphite results in works that oscillate between physical and psychological space. By reducing his materials, Sommer heightens the impact of his forms, evoking eerie, otherworldly landscapes.
Together, Dass, Macintosh, and Sommer reimagine abstraction as a structural, conceptual, and spiritual practice. Axis Mundi invites viewers to navigate these constructed realms, each one offering a different perspective on what lies beyond.
