During our recent visit to Pitzhanger Manor, we had the privilege to closely explore the exhibition When Loss Makes Melodies with the iconic art couple Idris Khan and Annie Morris. Their enduring warmth and easy camaraderie were evident during our evening with them. The couple, with a shared sense of humour about the duration of their union, radiates a genuine connection, laughing and supporting each other as they passionately discuss their works.

Their artistic journey together began when Idris shared a studio with other artists in Islington, later joined by Annie. From Islington to Stoke Newington and finally to Petworth, they have maintained a shared studio space, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. Annie's poignant "stack series" emerged from a period of profound mourning after the stillbirth of their son, a loss compounded by the death of Idris' mother.

Their collaborative journey commenced in a Mumbai gallery, providing a comfortable environment away from the eyes of the art market. Despite their works being displayed on separate floors, their pieces, both centred on themes of memory and loss, became evident. Idris took it a step further by incorporating Annie's vibrant pigments into his own creations. It wasn't until their joint exhibition at NewLands House in Petworth that they explored presenting their works side by side.

As they continue their artistic journey, Annie gears up for an exciting solo exhibition in China next year. Idris, keen on avoiding examination of the text, repetitively applying stamps to the surface. He intends to showcase his extensive collection of stamps, numbering in the tens of thousands, in an installation at his show in Milwaukee next year. The story of Annie Morris and Idris Khan is not just one of artistic collaboration but a testament to enduring love and shared resilience in the face of loss. In this interview, we delve into the complexities of their work and the dynamic between them.

Their exhibition When Loss Makes Melodies at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery is on view until 7 January.

The Cultivist: The works in the exhibition have a complementary nature however, at the same time are very different, is there a specific art movement or historical period that you both find particularly inspiring?

Idris & Annie: I think we both feel that artists have often made their best work when working through moments of trauma. Whether it’s dealing with something from their past or a personal response to a big change in their life. Some of the work in this exhibition documents a specific year of our life of intense grieving and channeling that pain into very different responses. Idris started to make his stamp paintings in which he transformed his expression into words and then into rubber stamps to make his word paintings, and for me I first created my embroidered drawings and pigment stack sculptures. We both gravitate to similar artists. There is a combined love of the American Abstract expressionists and a mutual love of Cy Twombly and Robert Rauschenberg.

The Cultivist: How did you both discover your passion for art and did you influence each other's artistic journey?

Idris & Annie: We came to art at different times…for me as a young child, drawing nonstop, and Idris, later, when he was around eighteen and was inspired by his Photography teacher to apply to the Royal College, which changed his life. I was a student at The Ecole Des Beaux Arts in Paris, where I studied in a sculpture studio surrounded by fascinating materials, and it started my obsession with pasted and pigments.

The Cultivist: How do you see your personal relationship affecting your working practice?

Idris & Annie: Idris and I have studios together, so we are surrounded by each other's work. We walk between the two spaces and often help each other with processes and ideas. When there is a deadline, we work through big decisions on what to show.

The Cultivist: Do you have any advice for artists or art scholars today? And maybe for collectors?

Idris & Annie: I think being as open as possible to techniques and having time to work out the process before starting can really help. Also, when having exhibitions, try and keep at least one work as part of your own collection - it will help with bigger shows later on!

The Cultivist: Who are the emerging artists that you're following who you think The Cultivist community should be looking at?

Idris & Annie: We recently saw a beautiful show of paintings by Liorah Tchiprout at Marlborough Gallery. Next year, we hope to make time to see more shows of emerging artists' works, as this year, we barely had time to leave the studio! We are working so hard on our upcoming shows, which are opening in the spring of next year in Shanghai for me at the Fuson Foundation and Idris’s 20-year survey exhibition at The Milwaukee Art Museum.