Nick Hobbs’ graphite drawings, Umbra and Night Light (2024), delve into the delicate interplay between light and shadow, intimacy and vastness, the terrestrial and the celestial. These works showcase Hobbs’ meticulous approach to pencil drawing, where dense layers of graphite create velvety textures that both absorb and reflect light. Through his masterful gradients and fine details, Hobbs transforms paper into an almost otherworldly surface, inviting viewers into contemplative spaces that blur the boundaries between personal moments and cosmic phenomena.

Umbra turns outward, offering a dreamlike view of a glowing celestial body suspended in the void of space. The moonlit surface it depicts carries the marks of cosmic history while radiating a haunting luminescence, reminding us of our fragile place in an expansive universe.

Hobbs’ practice is deeply informed by his lifelong passion for astronomy and the meditative process of stargazing. These drawings serve as portals into realms both intimate and infinite, inviting viewers to reflect on the dualities of human experience and the enduring wonder of the cosmos. Through Umbra and Night Light, Hobbs connects the poetic and the precise, crafting works that feel at once grounded in reality and adrift in the unknown.