Isaac Mettle

Pop Up: Gaze

About

Isaac Mettle

Isaac Mettle is a multidisciplinary artist born in Accra, Ghana, and now based in Brighton, UK. His practice bridges photography and abstract painting, each discipline feeding into the other. “I photograph what I can’t paint, and I paint what I can’t photograph” is the mantra that underpins his creative journey. Isaac’s work often explores themes of identity, imagination, and transformation, informed by his roots in Ghana and his life in Brighton. His abstract paintings carry emotional intensity through color and movement, while his photography captures lived realities with sensitivity and presence. Across both mediums, he invites audiences into a dialogue between what is seen and what is felt. His influences include Abstract Expressionism and the raw energy of Jean-Michel Basquiat, but equally the rhythms of music and the shapes of everyday life. Whether in paint or lens, Isaac creates spaces where imagination expands and new possibilities emerge.

What's happening

Alongside his exhibition at The Vault (3–18 October), Isaac Mettle will also present work at The Lab as part of the Founder’s Selection. Curated under the title Gaze, this parallel display features portraits and landscapes of Brighton. While More Than Your Eyes Can See at The Vault foregrounds Black identity during Black History Month, Gaze invites viewers to explore the boundaries of how “Black” is seen and understood in visual culture. Together, the exhibitions highlight Mettle’s dual practice: one rooted in identity and representation, the other in observation and imaginative possibility.

Gaze also sets the stage for The Lab’s next show, Shut In Shut Out, by Robert Ashby, a newly arrived Londoner in Brighton. Researcher, philanthropist, and arts patron, Ashby makes his Brighton debut with a thought-provoking exploration of perception and belonging.

Pop Up opening on 27 September

Participants are invited for an interactive experience

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