Untitled - Sylvia Ji
Everyone knows it’s a big deal for international artists to come to Australia. As those of us who love to travel internationally are painfully aware, we live along way from everywhere. The music scene does a pretty good job at convincing acts to indulge us, however the art scene generally partakes in some dragging of feet in this regard. So, as you can imagine, when we heard the frightfully talented Ms. Ji was packing a crate of paintings and shipping them and herself to Melbourne’s Outré Gallery we had to be there.
Untitled - Sylvia Ji
We RSVP’d embarassingly early and made our way to Melbourne. Voila! We bring you “Ofrendas”.
The show featured a series of original paintings as well as new prints. Outré in Sydney and Melbourne has had a healthy supply of Sylvia Ji prints for as long as we can remember and unfortunately we will never be able to appreciate them the same way again. The original works are striking and one persons was overheard describing them as “electrifying.” Deep reds, glistening gold highlights and fluid brushstrokes brought each figure to life.
La Pelirroja - Sylvia Ji
Sylvia Ji was delightful. Genuinely happy to pose for photos, be hugged, praised and generally be gawked at.
The gallery was packed. A slow shuffle was the fastest possible pace anywhere near the artworks or the bar. It was excellent to see so many Melbourne art-lovers out to get a piece of the action.
Awesome tattoos.
The store was doing a roaring trade. Originals were sold via a pre-registered wait-list. With beautifully framed limited edition prints for under $500, people were catching the fever and getting nice and loose with their wallets.
Sylvia Ji - real women drink beer... see mum?
Immaculada (left) & Rosario (right) - Sylvia Ji
I guess the pictures do the talking, but that cabinet really made close-ups impractical. We hope you get the idea.
Big love and thanks to Outré for making the event happen and also to Sylvia Ji for making the trek.
The exhibition continues until Tuesday 14th of July. If you are lucky enough to be in Melbourne this is a must see.
See Sylvia Ji’s website and online gallery.
Find out what else is happing at the various Outré Galleries.
