Dosage Magazine
Nigel Sense at Bridgette Mayer Gallery
By Allan Lane
April 17, 2025
Indulge "Asam Boi": color-charged canvases meets raw emotion as Nigel Sense makes his U.S. debut at Bridgette Mayer Gallery
Nigel Sense: A Nomad's Palette Finds Philadelphia
Stepping into Bridgette Mayer Gallery this spring is like uncorking a bottle of Malaysia's tart-sweet drink for which Nigel Sense names his first Philadelphia solo exhibition, "Asam Boi." Eighteen new canvases line the white-brick walls, each a fizz of citrus-bright color and swaggering brushwork that pays homage to the artist's recent residency in Penang.
Raised on the punchy aesthetics of 1960s Pop and the gestural bravado of Abstract Expressionism, Nigel Sense gathers fragments of travel -- street-market signage, overheard slang, a glimpse of neon across humid dusk -- and lets them collide in paint. Drips run, lines misbehave, and typeface snippets fight for space, but the eye never feels crowded; instead, there is a lyrical rhythm to the chaos, a reminder that discovery is made in motion. Sense calls his roaming research trips "going fishing," and you can trace every cast on the canvas: a hot-pink swipe echoes temple lanterns, while a chalky turquoise block seems to bottle the monsoon sky just before the downpour.
NIgel Sense: Imperfection as Anthem
Sense's brush is unfiltered, almost rebellious, yet never carless; each impulsive mark converses with a ghost layer beneath, creating depth that invites slow looking. The exhibition's metaphor -- a drink that's equal parts salty, sour, and sweet -- feels apt: these paintings taste of jet lag, street-food euphoria, and theh heart-tug of home left temporarily behind.
Paired in the gallery's Vault with Philadelphia-based artist, Mark Stockton's G.L.R. (George/Lincoln/Rockwell) exhibition, the show frames human complexity from two angles: Stockton's meticulous realism and Sense's exuberant immediacy. Together they form a compelling dialogue on truth and performance.
For collectors seeking work that crackles with energy yet sustains repeated viewing, Nigel Sense offers a persuasive argument that perfection is overrated -- and honest delight is timeless.