Shurleey x SERAX: at Project Space, Gallery Sofie Van de Velde

Ceramics have long played an important role in Shirley’s paintings, where brightly coloured, organically shaped vessels appear alongside plants, portraits and other objects from her everyday surroundings. Rather than functioning simply as decorative elements, they form part of the intimate worlds she creates around her figures. With Serax, these imagined objects were brought to life as functional pieces, allowing Shirley’s painterly universe to extend beyond the canvas.

Named after the small village in Peru where Shirley grew up and where her family still lives, Santiago de Borja is deeply connected to her personal history and her relationship with nature. The collection reflects the warmth, colour and spontaneity that characterise her work, while the expressive shapes and bold brushstrokes retain the intuitive quality of her painting.

The collection unfolds across two complementary chapters: a series of sculptural vases and a vibrant tableware collection. Each piece is hand-painted, making the transition from painting to object feel direct and personal, while inviting Shirley’s world into the everyday.