On 16 December 2024, MATDOT Art Center hosted a captivating talk session with Al Munro,  MATDOT’s current artist-in-residence. The event served as a prelude to the opening of her solo exhibition, Pattern, Colour, Space, held later that evening.

The session began with a lecture in which Munro explored her inspiration—grids and patterns. Her work often critiques the rigid grids of Modernist painting by drawing from the fluid patterns found in woven fabrics. Through this lens, she visualises the foundational structures that shape our understanding of the world.

Munro also shared insights from her residency in Thailand, recounting her travels to the northern regions. There, she encountered intricate patterns in textiles created by local hill tribes and traditional Thai artisans. These discoveries greatly influenced her exhibition pieces.

The works showcased in Pattern, Colour, Space fuse traditional Thai fabrics with geometric forms, creating visually complex surfaces. This fusion links historical textile motifs with patterns derived from scientific visualisation, highlighting the spatial relationships between these two realms.

Following the talk, an engaging discussion ensued between Munro and the audience, delving into her creative process and the interplay of cultural and scientific themes in her art.