V & A is pleased to present Julia Chiang and David McMurray in “Altered Egos,” a two-person exhibition. Both artists use elements of framing and decoration to embed the viewer into their work.

David McMurray’s expressionistic sculpture creates an environment that subtly transforms an immediate reaction to object. His central piece in the show – a molding of miniature human heads loosely rendered in plaster – runs around the perimeter of the gallery framing the space and the spectator. McMurray halts an immediate reaction: The faces peer down, engaging the individual – their features mimicking and reflecting our own reactions at being the subject of their focus.

Working directly with found objects and further altering them, Julia Chiang’s etched mirrors on a discarded table invite the act of self-discovery – the mirrors are inscribed with words of affirmation, leaving only the text reflective. Collected on the table, some framed in wood, some in metal, some in silver, and some in plastic, they serve as an invitation to be held and coerce reflection. The private and intimate action calls into question their occupation in the gallery as art object and renders the person holding the mirror the object to be gazed upon.