"You Are Not Worth an Explanation" explores the artist's experience of exclusion and invisibility within the world of visual arts. The works address the emotions that arise when an artist is repeatedly confronted with rejection while applying for study places, exhibition opportunities, grants, studio spaces, and memberships in professional artists' associations. In the worst cases, an artist may spend decades in a situation where multiple rejections arrive year after year.

In many fields, communication has evolved to become more respectful toward applicants, and rejected candidates are often provided with at least a brief explanation. The art world, however, continues to uphold a practice in which rejection decisions are left unexplained—even when there are only a handful of applicants. Understandably, this can evoke profound feelings of invisibility and worthlessness among artists, sometimes leading to depression and a deep sense of exclusion. Often, even a short explanation would help an artist develop their work, take pride in it, and experience the invaluable feeling of being seen and belonging.

The sculptures and installations in this exhibition explore a subject that is deeply important to artists—without forgetting humour. Would you adopt an artist as a pet?

In their artistic practice, Iisa-O explores themes that are deeply meaningful to them: humanity, imperfection, and connection. The human being has almost always been at the centre of their work. As a young artist, long before the era of smartphones and selfies, Iisa-O began by photographing themself using a film camera. It was therefore a natural progression to continue examining the human figure and body through sculpture and other artistic media. In recent years, Iisa-O has expanded this focus from the body's physical presence toward the inner landscapes of the mind.

Iisa-O is a multidisciplinary artist who works across a variety of media and continually experiments with new techniques and materials. Photography first led them to explore printmaking through photo-based processes, and they still consider photography to be their strongest area of expertise within the visual arts. In recent years, however, Iisa-O has concentrated primarily on sculpture, working most naturally with clay and plaster. Time and again, they find themselves returning to these ancient materials in their artistic practice.