I've been reviewing art exhibitions for almost two decades now, always striving to be objective in my assessment of the art and even-handed in my writing. However, I'm so in awe of this artist's talent and the eloquence of his work, that it's difficult to maintain that equilibrium here. Then again, few could discuss the intellectually conceived and excellently constructed works of Hans Arkeveld without employing superlatives.

Here is the consummate artist, one who is imbued with academic rigour. Arkeveld can take a single idea from its embryonic state, through different facets of evolution, to multiple conclusions with meticulous attention to detail at every step of the journey. Although completely satisfied by the finished exhibit, each viewer intuits it is not the final conclusion, that there are other possibilities yet to to be investigated. It is the artist's total absorption in the concept, tireless interrogation of the subject, flawless creation of the art object, and his invitation to the viewer to explore their own interpretations, that makes his work engaging and appreciated by so many.

This retrospective exhibition includes sculptures, drawings, prints and paintings. The recurring motif is the human figure; heads or torsos, fully formed foetuses or androgynous adults, that reference Humanity as a whole rather then nominate a specific. Themes refer to the human condition, including the experiential, experimental, educational, corporal and spiritual facets of life, and death. The artist investigates his subject matter through exploratory drawings, each study a work of art in its own right. These fine sketches and anatomical drawings are reminiscent of those done by Renaissance artists as they reveal not only the skeletal or muscular substructure of the human body but the inquisitive mind of the artist.

Some sculptures and drawings depict figures and machinery blending in a manner that suggests a physical and technological interface. In the smaller exhibits, the human and machine seem to blend seamlessly creating a unified organism. In others, like the life size head Vision Deceptor, we're not sure if the apparatus is integral to the concept of sight or if it is representative of past/future investigations into the physical act of seeing. Other powerful exhibits depict political or religious martyrs to reveal how some must suffer before others can gain. Of these, the excellent plaster and wood Crucifixion offers a beautifully articulated head and torso suspended in a manner that expresses neither pain nor agony, rather it evokes a sense of loving submission.

The exhibition also includes brightly painted constructions of wood that refer to the whimsical side of life, excellent black and white landscape drawing, etchings, and boxed surprises of the life and death kind. All the works excite the mind and imagination, however the one exhibit that drew me back more often then others is the beautiful Transient a life size, single winged angel with an enigmatic expression. Each time I approached, it suggested something new.

If you see one exhibition this year, make it this one. Arkeveld is a teacher, a student, an explorer and a maker who shares the wonder of these creative activities with us all, through his excellent art.