For her U.S. debut, Carina Santos presents her so-called “pour paintings,” evocative abstract paintings that employ material, gesture and chance to conjure up memories of terrains and skies. Her process begins with mixing color, pouring pigment on a canvas laid flat on the floor, allowing it to sit and lead her to where the painting should go. “It’s not really an accident because it is deliberate," Santos says. “But when the colors interact, it does create something new and surprising. I do lead it, but it ends up where it wants to be.”

Born under the uneasiness of the lockdown years, the comets began as experiments using materials already found in the artist’s home and studio. An avid collector of historical objects, plant specimens, and other curiosities, Halili’s affinity with the natural world mirrors that of an Enlightenment-era gentleman: energized by discovery, guided by experimentation, and driven by the desire to understand the world.