The B.Y5 gallery has never looked so quiet. At first glance the space may feel minimalistic, either to a shocking or amazing extent. It’s all a matter of taste. The white hue of the walls blends with a warmer tone: the walls are filled with layered pores-like porcelain sculptures, comprised of delicate fragments, invite us to gaze in deeper.

Another glance reveals that each wall contains a system of organs with unclear purpose and unknown use. Are they leading each other or are they being led? And in what way are they inviting us to experience them?

In her first solo exhibition, Edna Oliver chooses to blend the Natural and inanimate worlds that have been reflected in her works so far, with an inner, intimate, and personal world. In an entirely symbolic match with the name of the prize – Oliver surrounds us with "words"; Each object speaks her unique sculptural language.

Hundreds of sculpted segments that are intricately connected by meticulous craftwork, considering the contraction during the firing and cooling process, in contrast to the cool studio room. This method was invented by Edna herself. We do not speak this sculptural language and roaming this space only once is not sufficient enough to learn about it. The repeating elements of the sculptures share similarity in shape as well as a distinct sound.

The innocent white walls that surround us may feel stormier now. The surrounding silence seems as in an active conversation that takes place on a different frequency. Can you hear it?

Tali Kayam, June 2023