Post-Fair

P·P·O·W is pleased to present a selection of new paintings by Phoebe Helander at the second edition of Post-Fair. Helander’s book-sized, oil on wood works emerge from an expressive and durational form of perceptual painting. In uninterrupted sessions lasting between four and ten hours, Helander's sensitivity to form and light transform even the most mundane object matter into sites of presence and reflection.  

In an age characterized by rapid change, this presentation challenges viewers to revel in the present moment. Foreshortened Calla Lily, 2026, highlights the interior geometry of a flower as it balances atop the rounded form of a water-filled paper cup. Maidenhair, 2026, showcases a cluster of fan-shaped gingko leaves glowing in vibrant and varied yellows, their crisp forms extending across a background of shadows and reflections. Wire Form III (Divided Space) and Wire Form VI, both 2026, trace the artist’s attention to deceptively austere handmade wire forms that gradually reveal themselves to be more colorful and uncanny as the viewer approaches the work. Together, these paintings affirm Helander’s sustained commitment to perception as both subject and method.  

Phoebe Helander (b. 1988) received her MFA from Yale University in 2019, and now lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at Karma, Thomaston, ME; Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Hudson, NY; Palo Gallery, New York, NY; and New Release, New York, NY; among others. In 2024, she presented her third solo exhibition with Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Hudson, NY, which was accompanied by a catalog essay by curator and critic Robert Storr and reviewed in Hyperallergic by critic John Yau. Her first exhibition with P·P·O·W, Paintings from the Orange Room, was on view October 31 – December 20, 2025.