‘I like the idea of people taking artwork off the wall and slinging it under their arm’
Twenty-seven-year-old Brisbane artist Sam Harrison is arranging paintings inside his studio at The Paint Factory in Yeronga.
“I’m putting those four little guys in,” he says, pointing to a stack of paintings. “I like the idea of people just taking artwork off the wall and slinging it under their arm and walking off.”
Sam Harrison is one of six emerging artists selected for the Affordable Art Fair’s Discover: Young Talent program.Credit: Courtney Kruk
Harrison has been preparing his collection for Brisbane’s first Affordable Art Fair, as one of six emerging Queensland artists chosen for the fair’s Discover: Young Talent program.
Behind him, a koala painted in hot pink acrylic gives a rude gesture. In another work, a koala with folded arms and a steely glare is set against the familiar scene of Post Office Square.
Like most of Harrison’s work, the paintings tell a bigger story. He explains that Post Office Square was where Indigenous resistance leader Dundalli was publicly executed in 1855.
“I find it really interesting that we’ve got Anzac Square, and then across the road is where Dundalli was hanged,” he says. “All of this military respect and procession goes on, with everyone’s backs to one of the last resistance leaders of the colonial era.”
Harrison started exploring art in high school as a way to learn more about his Indigenous culture.
“My dad’s side of the family is Indigenous – Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri – but I grew up with my mum [who is] English,” he says. “Art was an excuse to get to know the Indigenous community … it was about finding identity.”
His practice, described as “political commentary” and influenced by esteemed local artists such as Vernon Ah Kee, Richard Bell and Judy Watson, features familiar Brisbane scenes: Post Office Square, Kurilpa Point Park and Boundary Street. But place is only part of the story.
“I think most Indigenous artists would say the same thing. You become very aware of First Nations narratives that are underneath a lot of the suburban areas that we’re in.”
Twenty-two-year-old self-taught artist Zoe Willey also finds inspiration in the suburbs.
“I think the first time I painted a house was right after I graduated [high school],” says Willey, also selected for the Discover: Young Talent program.
“It was an older beach shack and something about the character and grit of the house really spoke to me.”
Zoe Willey has prepared a collection of 15 works for the Affordable Art Fair.
Willey grew up on the Sunshine Coast, and has continued exploring the nostalgia contained in architecture since she moved to Brisbane. She refers to her series of beach houses and Queenslanders as “house portraits”.
“Beach shacks make so much sense in that coastal environment. To me, the Queenslander is the Brisbane version of that,” she says.
Willey has prepared a collection of 15 works for the Affordable Art Fair, including house portraits and still life works, and will have information for anyone interested in commissioning a portrait of a specific home.
For emerging artists, the fair is an opportunity to have their work seen by more people. For Brisbane residents, it’s a chance to access a world that can feel intimidating and out of reach.
“I think there are a lot of people who love art or would love to collect art but are not sure where to start,” Willey says.
“It’s great how the fair brings together such a range of price points [and] such diverse art styles and artists in this one place.”
The Affordable Art Fair Brisbane runs from May 9-12. Visit the website for tickets, times and more information.