āBoy With Thorn On Noseā #1 & #2, 2026 (charcoal on raw linen, stained Tasmanian oak, 600mm x 750mm).
As you can see I had some fun with the stretching of these works, something a little nicer than the usual pine bars. š¦
Stoked to be showing again with @foenander_galleries and for the first time at @aotearoaartfair in my home country ā¤ļø
Thanks Elle and James for all your hard work and lovely energy. I feel blessed to also have @chalkhorsegallery in the booth right next door, who are also lovely š„° on the gallery front I am one lucky boy.
Here is āBoy with Thorn On Nose #1ā 2026 (charcoal on linen, 600 x 750mm).
No luck with my first Archibald attempt with my portrait of one of the finest gallery directors and artists out there @jasper_knight , who Iām blessed to have (along with the rest of the @chalkhorsegallery crew) support me along the art life path!
Can you believe they said this piece was, and I quote, ātoo rad to be in the prizeā? š¤
@kohl.tyler and I met doing our BFA at @whitecliffe_life over a decade ago. We shared a studio throughout out our time at uni and have continued sharing a studio till this day. pursuing a meaningful life through art has been a pillar of our relationship, though pursuing a career in art can absolutely kick your ass sometimes. The hours are late, the pay is shit, and one has to endure more rejection and self-doubt then most. But having each other through the highs and lows of this pursuit has been incredibly meaningful. Which is why it is absolutely mind boggling to share that Kohl will be featured in this years @ngvmelbourne Trienniale. A monumental achievement, and if this is the highest either of us achieve with this vocation of ours, it was worth it! You are a star my love, and Iām so proud šø
Thatās a wrap! Thanks for a killer fair @foenander_galleries ā¤ļø
Time to delete the gram again before I lose myself completely. See you again come Aotearoa Art Fair!
For those of us who have childhood memories of plucking a thorn off a rose and sticking it to your nose, this oneās for you š¹
āTo Pluck a Thorn, Place It On Oneās Nose and Become a Rhinocerosā 2026 (charcoal on linen, 120 x 140cm).
On view at @melbourneartfair with @foenander_galleries
Hereās a wee āStudy On Found Cardā of my wee wife @kohl.tyler š„° that will also feature in @foenander_galleries booth at K2, opening tomorrow night at @melbourneartfair āļøsee ya there!
Positioned at the heart of this sculpture is a sphere of earth. Nothing more than finely sifted dirt, water and hours of labour. Otherwise known in Japan as a ādorodangoā ball.
An ode to the human capacity or indeed compulsion to imbue meaning into otherwise inert material, through time, intention and labour. To bring into the world that which otherwise wouldnāt exist- whether that be music, works of fiction, new aesthetic landscapes, or in this case a perfect sphere.
Documentation by @quality.documentation@foenander_galleries
Iām thrilled to be sharing some work for the first time at @melbourneartfair with the lovely folks at @foenander_galleries next week. And Iām even more thrilled that Iāll be showing this new sculpture, which was both a meaningful labour, and somewhat nerve-wracking as I venture further forward into this new realm of āsculptureā. Though, as you can see my drawing practice clings on for dear life and insists on still being involved.
The bulk of the form is made of Australian chestnut, harvested after the āAsh Wednesdayā forest fires some 45 years ago. I acquired these four posts in pretty rough shape, and lovingly shaped and sanded them smooth, finishing them with an ebonization process involving a vinegar and rusted steel wool solution which transformed the tannins in the timber a beautiful black.
āPerhaps The First Ever Human-made Sphere Was Made Of Dirt, and Was Made For No Particular Reasonā 2026 (charcoal on cotton mat, Australian chestnut, dirt).
Images courtesy of @quality.documentation
Thank you to everyone who managed to catch āPushān Up Daisiesā at @chalkhorsegallery and a big thanks to the lovely crew at Chalkie š«¶
Onto to the next body of work I guess; see you all in another year šāāļø
šø @mark_pokorny_photo
While I appreciate that bigger is not in fact better in the world of art, there is something undeniable about the impact scale can have on a work, particularly when rendering the human form. Something perennial, sublime and numinous; you notice this when visiting old roman heritage sites with their giant columns and great big marble statues. A sense of their attempt to build a material bridge to something like the Elysian Fields.
āPushān Up Daisies #1ā is my largest work to date, and my first ever drawing on raw linen, which I LOVE! And makes for a further push towards experimenting more in the space of materials/process.
āPushān Up Daisies #1ā 2025 (150 x 170cm, charcoal on raw linen).
@chalkhorsegallery
