David Surman: Portraits of a Wild Family

EVENT DESCRIPTION

SENS Gallery is pleased to announce that in late September 2022, the gallery will open the door at Landmark South, Wong Chuk Hang. The inaugural exhibition, “Portraits of a Wild Family”, will be British painter David Surman’s debut in Asia.

The Landmark South, a lively new tower encompassed between sky and sea, will be home to the newest gallery in the jubilant, ever-growing Hong Kong art scene. SENS Gallery will showcase artworks in a 1,500 square feet space accompanied with window doors that provide natural sunlight to enliven the exhibition space.

On view from 27 September to 22 October 2022 with a total of 34 pieces of artworks, the inaugural exhibition – “Portraits of a Wild Family”, will be British painter David Surman’s debut in Asia. It will showcase the fantastic wild worlds he rendered to Hong Kong audiences.

The exhibition draws upon David’s reflections on the ever-changing, post-pandemic world. His experience living in the British countryside influenced him greatly in constructing a playful and natural dynamic between the animals and the environment in which they inhabit – with the wild worlds being a prophetic manifestation to enlighten human ways of life.

David’s quiet yet spirited creatures are born in part from his training in animation, which contributes to the fluidity of his narratives, and the momentum of his characters. Inspired by Miyazaki and Yoshitomo Nara, David’s paintings utilizes an innocent style to convey nuanced, human stories. Animals are depicted as complicated: affectionate and lively, yet at times surrounded by mystery, or solitude, even attempting to escape from the canvas. The layers of the painting absorb viewers, challenging them to unfurl the multiplicity of his world.

David’s practice is partially rooted in the retrospection and criticism of art history. His bold strokes and free splashes bring to mind the action and speed of late Picasso and de Kooning. The spontaneous brushes balance with fluid colours, inviting audiences to breathe and rhyme in accordance with the art. Inspired by Zen Buddhism and Daoism, David juxtaposes pronounced characters against an absent background, forming a sense of completeness.

As the name suggests, “Portraits of a Wild Family” incites engagement from a younger generation in appreciating and practicing art. David’s instinctive creation intends to disperse children’s fear to draw and to dream, and encourages family and friends’ interactions during the beginning of the school season.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

David Surman began painting aged 15 under the tutelage of Scottish artist Rob Fairley. Later he graduated with a degree in Animation from Newport School of Art in 2002, followed by a master’s degree in Film Studies from Warwick University in 2004. After a period experimenting in a range of different media, he now works primarily in painting and drawing.

David’s figurative work is distinguished by his vigorous brushwork and bright colour palettes and an emphasis on animal forms. Each work is an invigorating exploration of personality, emotion and dynamic bodies. With a wide-ranging set of influences at play, from the brushwork of the Zen Buddhist painters and post-war expressionism to action painters and Gutai, David seeks to synthesise western and eastern styles. He practises a distinct painterly economy, creating works by minimal means that can be universally understood. David’s unique works explore our complex twenty-first century relationship to the natural world.