‘Three Fruits’ by Abe Villiers, painted in 2024, Oil on canvas, 62 x 93 cm, first exhibited at “Seeing in Stanzas” a collaboration of CUPPS and the History of Art and Architecture Society, exhibited from Friday 13th-20th March at The Coach House, Murray Edwards College, CB3 ODF
”Seeing in Stanzas” exhibition video
“On seeing Abe Villiers’ ‘Three Fruits’ I was struck by the overwhelming darkness which conjures up this sense of mysterious secrecy.” Helen Pletts 海伦·普莱茨, 20th March 2026
the thought-fruit 思想之果
I would eat secretly; half in dark and shadow,
spectated only by a white half-light walking cautiously
up the wall behind me.
Each colour wore me internally
the complexity of red is that it only looks harmless,
I would swirl and drift through seeds and pith
and the biting moods would seize me.
Orange. Do not contemplate eating colour
without imagining; there is no salve in plainness,
eat and be satiated. Roll your tongue deep in the juices
of analysis.
I once saw my face reflected in the concave of a silver spoon
leave me entirely
12th February 2026, late evening, in response to Abe Villiers, Three Fruits, Oil on canvas, 62 x 93 cm
Response Poetry by Helen Pletts 海伦·普莱茨
Response Poetry translated by Ma Yongbo 马永波
思想之果 the thought-fruit
我将会暗自品尝，半隐于幽暗与阴影，
注视我的唯有一道苍白微光，小心翼翼地
爬上我身后的墙壁。
每一种色彩都让我内心疲惫
红色的复杂在于它只是看似无害，
我将在种子与精髓中回旋和飘荡
那些刺骨的情绪会将我攫住。
橙色。切勿只想着品尝色彩
而不去想象；平淡之中从无慰藉，
去品尝，去餍足。让你的舌尖
深深卷入思辨的汁液。
我曾看见自己的脸映在银匙的凹面里
彻底离我而去
2026年2月12日 深夜
根据阿贝·维利尔斯的油画《三种水果》而作
Helen Pletts 海伦·普莱茨
(www.helenpletts.com) is the English co-translator of Chinese poet Ma Yongbo 马永波, her official Chinese translator. She is a committee member of CB1 Poetry, the established monthly poetry reading event in central Cambridge UK, which has organised poetry readings for many years. CB1 Poetry features up and coming writers and well known poetry names.
Her work has been translated into Chinese, Bangla, Greek, Vietnamese, Serbian, Korean, Arabic, Italian, Albanian, and Romanian.
Helen 海伦·普莱茨 and Ma Yongbo 马永波 are co-creators of the ongoing series of weekly Response Poetry Volumes of the transnational dialogue featured in ‘Ma Yongbo Poetry Road Trip – Summer Tour 2025’ published by International Times since 10th May 2025, currently at Volume 38.
Helen has five shortlistings for the Bridport Poetry Prize (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024), two longlistings for The Rialto Nature & Place Prize (2018, 2022), a longlisting for the Ginkgo Prize (2019), a longlisting for the National Poetry Competition (2022), 2nd Prize in the Plaza Prose Poetry Competition (2022-23), and a shortlisting for the Plaza Prose Poetry Competition (2023-24).
Helen Pletts 海伦·普莱茨, 16th July 2025, Cambridge, UK, Planet Earth, The Universe
Ma Yongbo 马永波 (b1964),
https://mayongbopoetry.wordpress.com/ has 10 published poetry collections. He is representative of Chinese avant-garde poetry, the founder of polyphonic writing and objectified poetics.He is the main poet-translator of Western postmodern poetry on the mainland, including Dickinson, Whitman, Stevens, Pound, Williams and Ashbery. Collected Poems of Ma Yongbo (four volumes, Eastern Publishing Centre, 2024) comprising 1600 poems, celebrate 40 years of writing poetry.
马永波（1964年生），个人网站：https://mayongbopoetry.wordpress.com/，已出版9部诗集。他是中国先锋诗歌的代表人物，也是复调写作与客观化诗学的创立者。作为中国内地西方后现代诗歌的主要诗人译者，他翻译了狄金森、惠特曼、史蒂文斯、庞德、威廉斯及阿什贝利等诗人的作品。《马永波诗集》（四卷本，东方出版中心，2024年）收录1600首诗作，以此纪念其40年诗歌创作生涯。
Ma Yongbo 马永波 , Nanjing, China, Planet Earth, The Universe
The Fruit of Thought—On the Same Theme as Helen
思想之果——与海伦同题
This one, plucked from the black branch of the heart,
a red fruit, situated in external darkness
ceases its swaying, all things converge upon it,
or depart from it, as if leaving an anchor point.
Fullness or emptiness, now only belongs to the gaze after labour,
it shatters an ancient metaphor,
leaving only a few colours connected,
simple similarities, the form remaining stable,
a tower in the wind, perhaps a traveller seeking a harbour draws near.
Even the sky is black, like a curtain,
only a blurry white light, without origin,
as if the bewilderment after excessive thinking,
that untasted fruit, from the abyss,
arrives on a flat surface, unrelated to any worldly good or evil,
like a still point in the vortex of all things.
21st March 2026
Response Poetry by Ma Yongbo 马永波
Translated by Ma Yongbo 马永波
思想之果——与海伦同题
The Fruit of Thought—On the Same Theme as Helen
从内心黑色的枝头摘下的这一枚
红色的果实，置身于外在的黑暗之中
停止了摇晃，万物向它汇聚
或是从它出发，像是离开一个锚点
充盈或空虚，从此只属于劳作之后的目光
它摧毁了一个古老的隐喻
唯独让少许几种色彩，关联起
简单的相似性，形式依然是稳定的
风中的一座塔，也许有寻找港口的旅人靠近
连天空都是黑色的，像一块幕布
只有一片模糊的白光，没有来处
仿佛是过度思考后的茫然
那尚未品尝的果实，从深渊中
来到一片平面之上，与任何尘世的善恶无关
像是万物漩涡中的一个静止的点
2026年3月21日马永波
Abe Villiers, Cambridge, UK, Planet Earth, The Universe
“Combining my love of Classical philosophy, history and mythology with a fusion of Baroque and Surreal imagery, I seek to induce a sense of forbidden discovery in the mind of the viewer. I discovered the meditative bliss of art-making when I was young, at first through drawing, and now in recent years I have made my foray into painting; in these works, I focus in on isolated parts of the body, such as the face, hands and back to lend a visceral and immediate quality to my art, seeking to evoke the same emotional engagement that I feel in the works of my favourite artists, both ancient and contemporary.” Abe Villiers, 22nd March 2026, Instagram @abe_v_
Isobel Crosthwaite-Eyre, co-curator of “Seeing in Stanzas” a collaborative exhibition with the Cambridge University Poetry and Prose Society alongside Freddie Fineman, pictured standing beside ‘Ino’ by Abe Villiers, Cambridge, UK, Planet Earth, The Universe
Isobel Crosthwaite-Eyre (LinkedIn) is an art historian, curator, Courtauld Institute alum and current masters student at Cambridge University. While her academic focus is on the Northern Renaissance, with a particular interest in the post-Reformation works of Lucas Cranach the Elder, Isobel is also passionate about fostering a more welcoming contemporary art world.
As Exhibitions Lead of the Cambridge University History of Art Society, she curates multidisciplinary shows which invite us to engage with contemporary art through alternative creative outlets, generating a dialogue between artist and viewer founded on open-mindedness and imagination.
As Publishing Lead of Cambridge Journal of Visual Culture, she is now working on Issue 5, ‘Synthesis,’ which explores the powerful effect of combining unlikely themes and methods in the study of visual culture. Isobel is committed to creative collaboration and conceiving new approaches to art history and curation, with the ultimate goal of broadening the reach of contemporary art.
“Seeing in Stanzas” co-curators Isobel Crosthwaite-Eyre and Freddie Fineman, Cambridge, UK, Planet Earth, The Universe
Freddie Fineman (LinkedIn) is a first year undergraduate student in English at the University of Cambridge.
As Secretary of Cambridge University Poetry and Prose Society (CUPPS), Freddie has worked to facilitate various workshops and events for young people across varied disciplines that specifically explore the intersection of the visual and written arts.
Like Isobel, Freddie continues to work towards fostering a more accessible contemporary art world, one that embraces the strengths and possibilities of interdisciplinary practice.
Outside of his work in Cambridge, Freddie writes about public engagement with the arts and contemporary media culture for Cutting Takes, a publication powered by Critical Edge.
As Exhibitions Lead of Cambridge University History of Art Society, I was delighted to co-curate “Seeing in Stanzas”, a collaborative exhibition with the Cambridge University Poetry and Prose Society (CUPPS) alongside Freddie Fineman. The show brought together paintings, photography, and sculpture by student artists, paired with poems written by local writers in response. These poems intentionally decentre the artist’s own interpretation, encouraging viewers to engage with the works through their own perspectives. This approach was central to our aim: to make art feel more accessible. Too often, people feel alienated from galleries due to a perceived lack of knowledge. We wanted to create a space where visitors felt confident forming and expressing
their own responses. We were fortunate to exhibit in the Coach House at Murray Edwards College. Its warm, informal atmosphere supported our goal of challenging the often intimidating tone of traditional gallery spaces. In collaboration with Leo Pancione, I also photographed the artworks in the Murray Edwards gardens for the exhibition catalogue. By placing the works outdoors, these images counter the “white cube” model, reconnecting art with the wider world and further breaking
down barriers between art and everyday experience. Seeing Stanzas was my first curatorial project, and I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved. Working with a very limited budget, we built a vibrant community of poets in Cambridge who felt empowered to respond to art on their own terms. In turn, the artists engaged with a more open and diverse audience. The exhibition attracted unprecedented attendance, suggesting a strong appetite for art experiences
that are more welcoming, flexible, and participatory. Thank you to everyone who made “Seeing in Stanzas” possible. I look forward to my next curatorial project!
Isobel Crosthwaite-Eyre, co-curator of “Seeing in Stanzas”
“Seeing in Stanzas” Event poster created by Ruby Pike, Publicity Officer for Cambridge University Poetry and Prose Society (CUPPS). Ruby is studying Theology.
Note of thanks from Isobel Crosthwaite-Eyre
Thank you, first and foremost, to the poets and artists who have participated in “Seeing in Stanzas.” I know that many of you haven’t shown your work publicly before, and it is such an honour to showcase the fruits of your imagination and creative passion to a wider audience. None of this would have been possible without the Secretary of CUPPS, Freddie Fineman, who has given so much time and energy to coordinating our poets, promoting the show, and managing the logistical side of curation with (seemingly) endless good humour. The same can be said for the wonderful Jess Hammond, who made it possible for us to use the Coach House, a truly special space which she renovated with her own fair hand last year! Thank you, too, to Leo Pancione, who brought his fresh creative energy to photographing the artworks- what fun we had with his drone! Another special mention must go to Lucian Stephenson, who showed this old fossil how to use a printer, and made the inevitable battle with tech a fun experience- who’d have thought it?! Speaking of computers, the “Seeing in Stanzas” promotional poster was conjured by Ruby Pike. Her beautiful work has been the backbone of our incessant Instagram campaign- if you’re reading this, then she must have done a pretty good job! Thank you, also, to Andrew Bracey, who so kindly funded the refreshments for tonight. Name me a better pairing than wine and poetry! I thought not…
Introduction and Table of (Catalogue) contents
Introduction
“Seeing in Stanzas” was borne from a love of poetry, and the desire to share contemporary art with everyone. Too many people feel unwelcome in museums and gallery spaces because they feel they “don’t know enough” to appreciate the objects on display. This exhibition seeks to overcome threshold anxiety by recognising that everyone’s perspective on art holds equal value. We have invited poets to respond to select photography, paintings and sculptures, with no prior knowledge about the artist or their work. The resulting poems showcase the emotional vulnerability, imagination and perception of Cambridge’s writers. We invite you to share your personal response to each piece, shaped by your unique perspective. You might even feel inspired to write a poem – a quick haiku (5-7-5) is a great starting point!
Jess Hammy, The Body as Material 5
Helena May Groom-Shorter, Ethereal Synthesis 9
Helena May Groom-Shorter, Concealment of the Everlasting Sun 12
Helena May Groom-Shorter, Skin Deep 17
Helena May Groom-Shorter, Colossus Bathing 21
Imogen Knight, The Venn Diagram 25
Imogen Knight, Within 27
Imogen Knight, By the Candlelight 29
Imogen Knight, Recalling 31
Aoi Blank, Sarah I 33
Aoi Blank, Sarah II 35
Abe Villiers, Ino 38
Abe Villiers, Priam’s Corpse 40
Abe Villiers, Three Fruits 44
Imogen Knight, assorted photography 47-58
Scott DeVerrine, assorted photography. 59-69
Titles of Poems published in the Exhibition Catalogue
One size does not fit all —Idil Tekin
In Space—Malena Colon
Divine Synthesis—Sam Wigmore
Tangere—Chris Toavs
An Eternal Blue—Aurora Ceccato
All This Blue—Malena Colon
Vessel—Ruiying Zhong
Magenta Mermaids—Jana Abdel Aty
Turn away from me—Mimi Thompson
Skin Deep—Charlotte Crawley
Colossus Bathing Poem—Catherine Way
Hue—Nikita Vajrala
Colussus Bathing—J.D.Majid
An old friend—Mimi Thompson
Within—Will Hardy
Terminus—Varya Kluev
Self-Reflection—Oluwatomism Dada
Haiku for Sarah I—Isobel Crosthwaite-Eyre
Sonnet—Charlotte Payne
Haiku for Sarah II- Isobel Crosthwaite-Eyre
Ino—Lucy Wilson
Presents—Affan Dziyaul Afdhal
Red bodied—Nene Obiajuru
the thought-fruit 思想之果—Helen Pletts海伦·普莱茨, translated by Ma Yongbo 马永波
Three Fruits—Lucy Wilson
ﺣﻨﻴä(Hanin) Sarah Kleinmoedig
On Seeing a Hand—Nariswari Nurjaman
Reaching Out—Priyanka Das
Instinct to Protect—Zoha Panezai
Untitled—Lucian Stephenson
Insignificance—Elise Garçon
A Reminder—Aurora Ceccato
Guiding Star—Jess Thomas
Sonnet—Charlotte Payne
How silly of me to forget all things are temporary—Chris Toavs
how it used to be—Henley Wood
I sit and drink coffee on a park bench—Nabiha Ali
Handheld—Flora Burleigh
What do we talk about when we talk about the future—Soloman Tsai
Love I have—Mimi Thompson
Artists Abe and Helena at the exhibition “Seeing in Stanzas”, Cambridge, UK, Planet Earth, The Universe
The Women’s Art Collection is a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art by women at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge. Founded in the early 1990s, the Collection challenges the underrepresentation of women artists in museums and galleries.
https://www.murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk/womens-art-collection
All images under individual copyright © to either Ma Yongbo 马永波 or Helen Pletts 海伦·普莱茨 or Isobel Crosthwaite-Eyre, Abe Villiers, Freddie Fineman, Ruby Pike.
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