Join artists Samantha Hobson, Fiona Omeenyo and Rosella Namok as they discuss their collaborative exhibition, 'Which Way?'.
Get an insight into the ideas and processes behind the Which way? exhibition artistsFiona Omeenyo, Rosella Namok and Samantha Hobson, who will be in conversation with gallery director Michael Eather and others. These established artists will discuss their art and design sensibilities across painting and sculpture. Since 2014, the artists have travelled regularly to Brisbane (from Cairns and Lockhart River in FNQ) to partake in workshops for exhibitions, commissions and sculptural projects.
FIONA OMEENYO:
Fiona’s figurative compositions represent family bloodline, which connects ancestral spirits with kin relationships amidst coastal beach and reef imagery. Since 2016, Fiona has been working with FireWorks Gallery and other artisans to translate her 2D figurative imagery into 3D forms. The artist uses a variety of materials (bronze, acrylic, and 2 pac) and scale (ranging from tabletop pieces to life-sized outdoor sculpture commissions).
ROSELLA NAMOK:
Rosella’s paintings (such as the Stinging Rain and People and Couples series) continue to reflect both traditional stories and contemporary themes associated with the cultural, social, and environmental concerns. This has become more recently evident since she has been living in Cairns (for example her New Villages/Community Houses series). Continuing a technique she watched her grandmother develop by drawing in the sand, Namok creates her signature finger-patterned linear arrangements by pulling her fingers through paint. The distinctive result of this has translated well to sculptures (such as her Selfies series), which Namok has been developing since 2018.
SAMANTHA HOBSON:
Much of Samantha’s earlier work focused on social issues she has personally been touched by, such as suicide and domestic violence. More recently she has explored ongoing injustices relating to colonial history (such as her Fractured Sea/ Flagwave/ Wavebust series), which continue to affect her community today. Alongside her depictions of the more painful aspects of life, Samantha also produces beautifully tranquil works (such as her Reef/Life series) that speak to her home country in Lockhart River, with thick layering of paints carrying pigments freely and connoting the bright marine colours of the reef and ocean.
