Shaped by Time
by Erica Toh
Date: Feb 20 – Mar 5Space: Small Gallery
Shaped by Time: Past, Present, Becoming is a solo exhibition charting the artistic journey of Hawke’s Bay sculptural relief artist Erica Toh.
Originally emerging as a form of therapy during postpartum depression, Erica’s early explorations in texture and form became a grounding practice — one rooted in repetition, touch, and stillness. Over time, this intuitive process evolved into a distinctive sculptural language, culminating in the bas-relief works and textured surfaces she is now recognised for.
This exhibition unfolds as a visual timeline, presenting works in chronological order — from first experiments to recent sculptural reliefs — alongside magazine features and behind-the-scenes documentation. Together, they reveal not only the evolution of a practice, but the parallel journey of motherhood, healing, and self-definition.
Shaped by Time invites viewers to witness how art is formed slowly: through lived experience, patience, and the quiet accumulation of moments. It is both a retrospective and a threshold — honouring where the work began, while gesturing toward what is still becoming.
Erica Toh is a Hawke’s Bay–based sculptural relief artist whose practice explores texture, form, and stillness. Originally emerging as a therapeutic response to postpartum depression, her work has evolved into a refined architectural language defined by patience, material sensitivity, and quiet strength.