John Rainey | Errors
We are pleased to present John Rainey’s third solo exhibition at the gallery, titled Errors. The opening reception is on Thursday August 21, 17.00—20.00.
In his third solo exhibition at Berg Gallery, John Rainey explores error as a form of creative reimagining. In his latest works, made in cast parian porcelain, Rainey deconstructs and rearranges figures from the long and varied history of sculpture. The shapes we think we recognize—fragments of classical statues, mythological beings, and ornamental forms—are taken apart and reassembled in unexpected ways. These intentional ”errors” challenge traditional ideas of beauty, craft, and coherence, inviting viewers to imagine the possibilities that emerge when things don’t conform to expectations.
Rainey draws inspiration both from the disruptive, rule-breaking approach of Dadaist collages and the shapeshifting spirit of ancient myths and folklore. His sculptures typically capture bodies in moments of transformation: humans caught in the process of shifting into animal form, shadows becoming embodied and three-dimensional, and fragments coming together to create entirely new forms. These alternative states of being point to more fluid identities, where categories blur, and rigid definitions give way to flexibility and change.
In Rainey’s work, the ”error” is treated not as a flaw, but as an opportunityto reimagine and reshape reality. This approach aligns with certain strands of feminist theory, including glitch feminism, in which glitches and deviations are valued for their disruptive potential. Influenced by such ideas, Rainey alters and recombines familiar forms to show how errors can serve as acts of liberation, breaking with fixed ideas and offering new ways to think about identity and the body.
John Rainey (b. 1985) holds an MA in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal College of Art in London. Since graduating in 2012, Rainey has undertaken residencies at the Digital Stone Project Residency in Gramolazzo, the British School at Rome, and Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. His works are represented in public collections such as the UK Government Art Collection, the Irish National Collection, the Ulster Museum, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection. Previous solo exhibition venues include Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast (2025), The Drawing Schools Gallery, Eton College, Windsor (2024), Naughton Gallery, Belfast (2022), Berg Gallery, Stockholm (2022, 2019) and Marsden Woo Gallery Project Space, London (2013).
