DISTANT FAMILIARITY, the latest exhibition of works by Yugambeh-born Bundjalung artist, Shaun Daniel Allen (Shal), marks an emboldened progression in the development of themes encompassing introspection and abstraction. Shal extends his compelling narrative of connection to Country present in his prior solo shows at China Heights gallery, BALUN and NYANYAHLILA.
This material storytelling through the recollection of memories combined with photographic references is the foundation of the abstract quality evident in Shal’s paintings. In expressing these stories, Shal leans into the movement discovered within the liberties of using large-scale canvases and textiles thereby expanding the breadth in the flow of his brushstrokes. The interplay of medium, materiality and movement in Shal’s artistic practice naturally presents further exploration of textile as sculpture and its synergy with painting.
Each painting in DISTANT FAMILIARITY started as a larger work portraying a topographical image of the Nerang Balun (river), specifically the bends that flow past Chevron Island, Southport and out through its seaway. The core line present throughout the works is representative of this particular river connecting Shal back to his home.
"All of these areas of great significance for my youth. Places I learnt to swim, jump from bridges, fish and the seaway I paddled almost daily to surf. All distant from me geographically and in time, but when I close my eyes, I can recall every detail. Distant. And familiar."
Country’s bodies of water, its land, its skyscape are for Shal a constant source of truth in his expression of colour through his distinctive application of collected ochre and paint. Times of quiet reflection are often the moments during which Shal conjures his interpretation of hues found in Country, lending the viewer a textured depiction of nature’s transcendent quality
"Soft sunrises and bright sunsets. Golden light spilling over green grassland and bush. Earthy and golden tones from the rocks and earth surrounding these waterways."
The contrast between organic lines tied to movement is intentionally overlayed on a rendered background speaking to the conventions of contemporary life in a city and its nexus to Country.
"I wanted to keep the background busy and really touch on the fact that Country isn’t just a far away place. It’s not just rural, or somewhere we need to travel to. It’s in highly populated areas, towns growing into cities, the busy waterways and skies. It’s all around. I miss the familiar, but I find comfort in Country always."
DISTANT FAMILIARITY is Shal’s proclamation to intimately contemplate Country’s impervious omnipresence and its profound relevance to us all.
Words by Ria Desiree