‘Only Half Listening’ is Joshua Perkin's latest series featuring 6 works on paper and 11 works on canvas, created between January and June 2023.

Each work in this series is united by its subject matter; all the paintings feature tables or dining scenes. The act of sitting at a table, something so habitual, is worth deeper reflection. It can be seen as an almost sacred act, in either the bringing together of individuals or of a moment of solitude and is something that Joshua wanted to explore and pay homage to.

"The works do not offer direct narrative clues, but as with his past work, they focus on the diversity of human experience. There are a range of ways one can interpret the invented characters that inhabit the painted spaces, who seemingly walk a tightrope between joy and melancholy." - Joshua Perkin