Black Beauty – Nana Ohnesorge
Brightly hued canvases featuring iconic figures of Australian history burst from the walls of Galerie pompom in Nana Ohnesorge’s Black Beauty.
But these luminescent artworks are a different interpretation of the country’s past. They feature Aboriginal heroes such as Bennelong, Linda Burney and Djon Mundine and place them in the context of indigenous and European imagery.
bundjalungboy, After Michael Riley, Portrait of Djon Mundine OAM presents incandescent native flora, looming red trees and totemic references surrounding the subject in a brilliant kaleidoscopic embrace. While in Australian Mining, storm tossed colours swirl in a vacant, surrealistic wonderland, ruled by a sun-seared, faceless figure with a shovel.
In contrast to the shimmering paintings, Ohnesorge’s sculptures from found objects are of milder tones. Invader, which portrays a white wigged 18th Century aristocrat crowned with bunny ears, is a whimsical yet powerful comment on the past. While the tears of Broken Hearted are a poignant reflection on the effects of colonialism on the native population and the land.
These are works of strength and integrity which make political statements without confrontation. They are emotional, visually arresting creations which illuminate a path through sometimes controversial, contemporary issues.
Until Nov 9, Galerie pompom 2/39 Abercrombie St, Chippendale. FREE, galeriepompom.com
