As the name suggests, Present. Tense. by Huy Lam and Rod Mireau was ignited by a conversation between presence, tension, and balance. The walls at United Contemporary are graced by sculptures, canvases, and paper collages made largely out of wood and metal. Lam’s sculptures are inspired by traditional medicinal Chinese weighing scales and by his daily meditation practice. This meditative approach is complemented by Mireau’s exploration of the tensions between the natural and the industrial world. Mireau’s work is informed by the abandoned farm equipment he saw overtaken by the landscape during his childhood in Saskatchewan.
Installation view of Present. Tense. at United Contemporary. Courtesy of United Contemporary
Lam’s contemplative approach to contemporary life reflects the tension and chaos of it all with elegance and a certain tranquility. The Exposed series includes seven floating metalworks that subtly and softly interacts with one another and with the viewers. The contrast between steel, that is a rough and tough material, and its gentle and svelte curves makes these pieces entrancing. Lam’s photography background is highlighted by the way he uses light in this installation, and the traveling shadows the metalwork creates on the wall.
Installation view with Huy Lam, Exposed 1-7, 2025, steel. Courtesy of United Contemporary
The collages present an intricate, vibrant, and delicate artistry. The repetition of intertwining forms with changing colours provides a sense of mellow peace. The works expel fluidity, patience, and persistence in a visually stunning manner.
Huy Lam, Spaces to Celebrate I, 2025, collage on cotton rag paper, framed in maple, 16 x 12 inches. Courtesy of United Contemporary
Lam’s other sculptures, Precipice and Yield, also show an exceptional mastery of balance. The two sculptures break the laws of physical barriers. I thought the pieces in Yield were welded together before I realized they were balancing; one piece perfectly sitting on top of the other. The exquisite attention to detail, the materials, the form, and the magic in balance make this sculpture the central point of the show.
Installation view with Huy Lam, Yield, 2024, brass, copper, Navajo skipper, 15 x 51 x 4 inches (in front). Courtesy of United Contemporary
The series Too Many Tears, consist of five metal and wood mobiles. These were also my favourites. The slimness and gracefulness of the pieces make them almost appear to be floating. Constructed from elaborate geometric forms, the mix between metals, along with the different wood types and wood grains, result in minimalist pieces that are a pleasure to behold. Despite their apparent simple nature, the more time spent appreciating and observing the works, the more detail, craftsmanship, and artistry the viewer discovers. The tension that holds up the pieces transforms them into truly beautiful forms.
Huy Lam, Too Many Tears (Tomorrow) (left) and Too Many Tears (Last Month) (right), 2025, stainless steel, aluminum and walnut or brass and maple, wire, 42 x 27 x 14.5 in, 37.5 x 20 x 1 inches. Photo: Sofia Diaz Aguilar
Moving into Rod Mireau’s world of textures, grains, sturdiness and worldbuilding, I find the most astonishing pieces to be four large canvases that combine oil paint, ink, and charred wood. Mireau enjoys the concept of a fragmentary fabrication: tearing something apart and putting it back together through his artistic construction. His piece In the Folds repurposes burnt wood and takes advantage of the variety of grains, traces and patterns left on the lumber. The employment of a ‘destructed’ material to make the beautiful mountain top landscapes is quite poetic. The result of this use of materiality is not only visually elaborate, but also tactile.
Rod Mireau, In the Folds, 2025, oil paint, ink, charred wood, 60 x 60 x 5 inches. Courtesy of United Contemporary
Mireau’s piece Machine Artifacts: Loops presents an intricateness, tension, and fluidity similar to Huy Lam’s work, but the tone varies tremendously. The material achieves a misleading sense of identicality; misleading because none of the pieces look the same, but they feel like they look the same. The rusted steel that forms the structural support adds a nice golden textural element to the piece. The rest of the artwork is composed of what I initially thought was bent steel but is bent walnut. Once again, an example of the mastery of craft that is present in every single piece in this show.
Rod Mireau, Machine Artifacts: Loops, 2025, steel, walnut, ink, 32 x 48 x 6 inches. Courtesy of United Contemporary
Finally, Machine Artifacts: Rings merges wood, stones and resin. A particular element that I appreciate from these pieces is that the viewer can interact by looking through the holes in the rings or playing with the reflections in the resin. The bending and mixing of wood forms reaffirms the persistence and patience embedded into all the artworks. The ebony shades of the works let the form and materials shine for themselves, like the minimalist effect in Huy Lam’s Exposed.
Rod Mireau, Machine Artifacts: Rings, 2025, wood, ink, resin, sandblasting media, each 12 x 4 x 7 inches. Courtesy of United Contemporary
When looking at the rings individually, it may not be clear why the pieces are presented in a group, since they have different visual weights and compositions. However, they find a meeting point in the artist’s use of material. Both Lam and Mireau appreciate material exploration, they enjoy limiting themselves to working with scrap and readily available materials, creating a whole new set of possibilities: an evolution from organic materials into mechanical forms or the other way around. The pieces find connection in their beautiful artistry, intricate details, and dedicated craftsmanship.
Sofia Diaz Aguilar
*Exhibition information: Huy Lam and Rod Mireau, Present. Tense., September 4 – October 11, 2025, United Contemporary, 129 Tecumseth Street, Toronto. Gallery hours: Wed – Sat 11am – 6pm.