‘Bliss’ at Aspire Gallery – Some of Brisbane’s best artists on show
Aspire Gallery in the heart of Paddington have done it again and put together a gorgeous, summery show featuring some of Brisbane’s best artists. The ‘Bliss’ exhibition which opened on the 14th of October and is running through to the 11th of November is a celebration of all things summer. The artworks included in the show have been created by both Brisbane artists and artists from around Australia which gives the show a wonderfully broad sense of how we experience summer as a nation. There are three Smith & Brooks original artworks that have made it into the exhibition and we are pretty pleased to be featured alongside this amazing pool of talent.
We have already been able to make it along to the show in person and have spotted some beautiful works. The first artist that we would like to mention is Brisbane artist, Krystal Bradford. Her work is colourful, inviting and mood-elevating – we love it! We also loved Sydney-based artist, Katie Leavey’s gorgeous dreamy beachscapes. Queensland artist Amanda Lowjen’s ethereal photographic encaustic works also caught our eye. And as we did start out mentioning the exhibition includes some of Brisbane’s best artists we should add some more names: Lisa West, Deborah Lang and Katie Tooth have some stellar pieces hanging in the exhibition. These are just a few names from a show that is overflowing with wonderful work and we have had trouble trying to keep our list short for this blog post.
As we mentioned Smith & Brooks have been included in Aspire Gallery’s ‘Bliss’ exhibition. Two of our newest works, Coastal Banksia Muse I and Coastal Banksia Muse II are on show. These petite works feature the bold Coastal Banksia bush on them and being ‘Muse’ works they link together with a continuous line that meanders from one canvas to the other in a sunny yellow hue. While the works are separate pieces they can also be hung together side by side to create a surrounding sense of natural form and colour. The banksia seed pods were photographed along the east coast in various beach locations while we were travelling and holidaying and became the inspiration for these coastal-themed works. Their muted timber tones, sand and sky tones are all reminiscent of these beachscapes.
Along with these smaller works we have another work on show, Coastal Hibiscus Song. Coastal Hibiscus Song is a sweet and melodic artwork that features some of Australia’s most iconic coastal flowers. It uses the soft yellow tones of this much-loved bloom to create the flowing composition which is also dappled with explosions of deep red – a colour that fills the flower’s centre.
These three original artworks are in perfect company at ‘Bliss’ positioned among the delightful array of Summer-inspired pieces. Aspire Gallery has curated an exhibition that not only showcases some of Brisbane’s best artists but also some of Australia’s best artists. We are grateful to have been selected for the group show and can’t wait to see how it is received. Let us know if you have a chance to make it along!
