Nocturne
James Nilsen-Misra’s precise and beautifully executed diptych Nocturne #1 and #2 suggest an intense investigation into both serene reflections and melancholia. Indeed there is an ability in the pair of drawings to critically inform upon each other. As information is obscured in one example it is in turn highlighted in the other. This in turn reinforces the notions of the passage of time as the light source changes through the night.
James Nilsen-Misra’s diptych, of Nocturne I and Nocturne II, is [the exhibition's] restrained and sophisticated high point. Both images have the same suburban interior as their subject but a slight change of light between the works connotes the silent passing of time. They could be two frames lifted from film noir footage of the empty room. Fresh-cut flowers, an unplayed piano and empty chairs offer a quiet intermission from the day and respite for photosensitive art-viewers. The drawings feel totally dormant and contained so that they can be looked at without being contaminated by one’s own clamouring thoughts. Nilsen-Misra’s technique is characterised by his disciplined tonal limitation.
Isabella Kuijers, Arthrob writer, MA London Metropolitan University