A Leap of Sympathy

Richard Saltoun Gallery is pleased to present 'A Leap of Sympathy', the inaugural solo exhibition by London-based artist Anna Perach (b. 1985, Zaporizhzhia) at the gallery, whose first UK institutional solo exhibition was on view at Gasworks in London last year. The exhibition title draws from philosopher Henri Bergson, who emphasized intuition and lived experience over strict rationalism in our understanding of reality. Bergson suggests that, since we cannot empirically prove another person’s internal experience, we must take a ‘leap of sympathy’—a leap of trust—to relate to them.

This idea finds resonance in Perach’s exhibition, unfolding across the gallery’s three spaces like the chapters of a storybook, and bringing together a new body of tufted sculptures, drawings and glass sculptures. These works continue the artist’s investigation into the intersections of the psyche, gender, and identity through the primary medium of textiles—traditionally associated with the feminine and the domestic. Following the gallery show, A Leap of Sympathy has been developed in conjunction with East Gallery in Norwich, where it will travel for an institutional solo exhibition in September 2025.