Discover Maddox Gallery’s summer exhibition ‘Paradiso’, featuring nine international artists and infinite worlds of imagination and escapism. On view in-gallery and online until 22 August 2025.
Summers in London have an enchanting rhythm—days extend gracefully, evenings glow warmly, and the city seems to breathe at a gentler pace. It’s in this magical atmosphere that Maddox Gallery presents ‘Paradiso’, a summer exhibition inviting visitors into worlds of vivid imagination and visual delight. Showcasing nine international artists, ‘Paradiso’ offers an eclectic yet harmonious journey through fantasy, memory, identity, and desire.
The exhibition doesn’t merely propose escapism as retreat but as expansion—an invitation to rediscover the familiar through fresh, imaginative perspectives. Each artwork serves as a portal into infinite worlds, uniquely shaped by artists whose diverse backgrounds converge into one compelling dialogue.
Nine Artists, Nine Distinct Visions
1. Embracing Solitude: Celine Ali's Cross-Cultural Reflections
Celine Ali, Night Dreamer, 2024
London-based artist Celine Ali crafts luminous, faceless figures in abstract interiors that explore identity, femininity, and emotional strength. Her striking large-scale figurative paintings balance strength and vulnerability. Night Dreamer encapsulates this tension vividly—a solitary figure immersed in dreamlike hues appears poised between reality and fantasy, capturing resilience within vulnerability. This work is an emotive echo of Ali’s own cross-cultural upbringing, by portraying her Romanian and Turkish heritage and embodying the delicate essence of introspection and emotional resilience.
2. Childhood Whimsy & Silent Stories by Jo Gyuhun
Jo Gyuhun, an artist born and based in South Korea, brings whimsy and playful optimism through vibrant canvases. His “Children Hiding Their Faces” series reflects childhood fragility and emotional complexity. Donut Worry, featured prominently in ‘Paradiso’, exemplifies Jo’s signature style: a masked child in pastel tones engaging viewers in silent narratives, blending nostalgia with silent storytelling. His humorous titles and joyful visuals invite viewers to embrace simplicity and joy.
3. Pop Culture Satire in Charlotte Rose's Feminine Narratives
Charlotte Rose, Brave New World Coke, 2025
Charlotte Rose applies bold pop references to critique contemporary femininity. Brave New World Coke humorously critiques modern consumerism and societal norms through its bold, irreverent approach. Rose’s energetic palette and distinctive narrative voice compel viewers to reflect on the complexities of modern identity, superimposing brand culture onto gendered narratives and challenging consumer symbolism. The artist weaves her brand critique underscoring varied takes on female identity in contemporary society. Youthful questions meet societal critique—a dynamic pairing marked by shared emotional urgency.
4. Alessandro Florio: Historical Echoes Meets Modern Emotion
Alessandro Florio, Crocifissione di Gesù e i Due Ladroni, 2024
Alessandro Florio, with his Sicilian heritage, juxtaposes modern irreverence with emotional depth. His largest piece in the exhibition is also his most powerful—Crocifissione di Gesù e i Due Ladroni revisits classical religious iconography through oil paint and mixed media, infusing historical themes with fresh emotional resonance. Florio’s deep connection to historical depth reflects his Sicilian roots and dialogue with painting tradition from the Old Masters, creating a poignant modern reinterpretation that resonates across time. With these works, Florio plunges the viewers into layered significance, collectively revealing how colour and tradition coexist in large scale works.
5. Urban Dreams and Nostalgic Isolation with Juan Cuéllar
Juan Cuéllar’s artwork MATINERS brings together the evocative surrealism of Giorgio de Chirico with Edward Hopper's themes of urban solitude and Roy Lichtenstein’s pop-art modernity. Spanish artist Cuéllar captures metropolitan scenes infused with vibrant energy yet marked by an underlying sense of isolation. The bright colours and sharp contrasts amplify both the vividness and the emotional detachment found in urban life, reflecting how individuals can experience intimacy and solitude simultaneously amidst the city's dynamic pace. His paintings invite contemplation about the paradoxical coexistence of connectivity and anonymity in contemporary society.
6. Iván Montaña and His Silent Memories
Installation view of Iván Montaña’s artworks at 'Paradiso' exhibition, 2025.
The artistic practice of Iván Montaña is one that echoes a thoughtful journey into memory—his works embrace a delicate balance between abstraction and representation. Through layered textures and carefully placed brushstrokes, Montaña creates canvases that function almost like visual poems, evoking quiet introspection. The paintings selected for ‘Paradiso’ provide meditative spaces where colour and form become metaphors for emotional states and memories, gently inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and engage with the inner narratives and subtle rhythms of their own experiences.
7. Vibrant Mediterranean Rhythms: Miriam Dema's Expressive Vision
Drawing upon the serenity and warmth of Mediterranean landscapes, Miriam Dema’s new series of works portray a dynamic harmony between nature’s external beauty and internal emotional landscapes. In Estimar, her vibrant palette and flowing forms express an animated dialogue, suggesting the interconnectedness of environment and emotion. Each expressive brushstroke conveys a sense of fluidity and vitality, inviting viewers into a sensory immersion that is both energetic and contemplative, echoing the constant but peaceful movement and rhythm of life.
8. Mulgil Kim's Dreamlike Journeys into Quiet Contemplation
Artist Mulgil Kim at work in her studio.
Mulgil Kim’s gentle gouache paintings embody a serene surrealism shaped by the artist’s global travels and cultural experiences. Kim delicately blends elements of fantasy and everyday familiarity, crafting visual worlds that softly yet persistently speak to the viewer’s imagination. Her artworks embody a quiet strength and emotional depth, subtly drawing viewers into dreamy landscapes where reality is gracefully reshaped. Kim’s work offers a complementary dialogue that juxtaposes stillness with vital energy, prompting intuitive reflection and balance.
9. Bold Youth & Playful Questions: Fanny Brodar's Childhood Explorations
Fanny Brodar, We Forgot Why We Came, 2025
Fanny Brodar’s We Forgot Why We Came poignantly explores themes of youth, identity, and self-awareness through vibrant colours and playful yet introspective imagery. Her approach candidly addresses the complexities of girlhood and existential curiosity, merging humour and honesty into a compelling narrative. Brodar’s authentic style resonates emotionally, creating relatable entry points that encourage viewers to reconnect with their own youthful experiences, uncertainties, and moments of self-discovery. Her direct yet nuanced visual storytelling provides meaningful insight into the universal journey of navigating self-expression and personal growth.
Moments of Reflection and Delight
Each artwork featured within Paradiso invites viewers to pause, reflect, and immerse themselves in vibrant, imaginative worlds. The exhibition emphasises emotional escapism and creative freedom, with standout pieces such as Ali’s contemplative Night Dreamer and Gyuhun’s whimsical Donut Worry embodying these thematic explorations. Florio’s reinterpretation of historical iconography creates a compelling dialogue between past traditions and contemporary perspectives, while Rose’s Brave New World Coke engages critical thought through incisive pop-cultural satire. Collectively, these works illustrate the cohesive diversity of the exhibition, demonstrating how varied artistic voices harmoniously interact in compelling visual dialogues. Furthermore, the pairing of Dema’s vibrant energy with Kim’s contemplative surrealism stimulates intuitive conversations about movement and tranquility. Meanwhile, Montaña and Brodar, both celebrated for their “improvisionism,” evoke their inner child through spontaneous, memory-driven creativity—each achieving strikingly distinct artistic expressions.
An Invitation to Experience and Collect
Installation of ‘Paradiso’ exhibition at Berkeley Street.
‘Paradiso’ embodies Maddox Gallery’s commitment to presenting vibrant and visionary art, showcasing exciting emerging talents on the rise. The diverse range of artists presented offers both seasoned collectors and new art enthusiasts an opportunity to acquire works that resonate personally and profoundly.
Visiting Maddox Gallery’s Berkeley Street space provides an intimate and immersive experience, allowing visitors to fully engage with the artworks’ scale, textures, and colors. For those unable to attend in person, the entire exhibition is also meticulously presented online, ensuring global access to these captivating visual worlds.
‘Paradiso’ doesn’t promise one singular paradise—it presents endless possibilities, each painting a vivid world of its own. It celebrates the transformative power of art, reminding viewers that paradise can exist wherever imagination, color, and creativity flourish.
Visit Maddox Gallery’s ‘Paradiso’ exhibition before 22 August 2025 or explore the full showcase online. The Maddox Gallery team offers personalised guidance to collectors seeking distinctive additions to their collections or initiating their collecting journey.
