Matt Carey-Williams is pleased to present Sara Birns' second solo exhibition at 12 Porchester Place.

Drawing on memories of California County Fairs, Birns explores the complex emotional dynamics that emerge within groups - moments of connection, obligation, self-consciousness and joy. Inspired by the artist's annual trip to the Santa Cruz County Fair in the early 2000s, the works capture the heightened atmosphere of communal gatherings, where forced smiles, fleeting glances and shared experiences reveal how we define ourselves through others.

Across the exhibition, Birns' exquisitely captured oil paintings portray characters suspended between inward reflection and outward engagement, often conveying multiple emotions simultaneously. Executed through a meticulous process of underpainting, grisaille and successive glazes, the paintings combine technical precision with a nuanced exploration of human relationships, memory and belonging.