In our busy lives, it is easy to overlook the beauty of ordinary objects and the moments that shape our daily existence. A simple meal, chores, and familiar household objects are often dismissed as mundane and given little aesthetic value.

This exhibition explores how artists capture the beauty of daily life through depictions of common objects, places or tasks. Some of the selected works are examples of the art historical traditions of still life and genre painting. Still life painting focuses on inanimate objects, often using them symbolically to reflect themes of mortality, abundance, and the passage of time. Genre painting celebrates scenes of domestic life and labour, revealing the significance of ordinary human experience. Both artistic traditions use familiar scenes to explore deeper truths about life and society. Contemporary artists continue to draw on these traditions, using familiar subjects to reflect the complexities and nuances of everyday life.

Drawn from the Permanent Collection, the artworks in this exhibition invite viewers to reconsider what is worthy of notice, and to reflect on how everyday matters shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.