Thérèse Mulgrew: The Dining Room Table

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.