culture instance: hilton owen
22 april – 8 may 2022
Culture Instance presents a dynamic new series of paintings by Australian artist Hilton Owen. These works depict uniquely evocative images of contemporary daily life and society. Hilton’s paintings incorporate both highly creative and technically proficient elements of figurative painting, abstraction and portraiture.
Hilton is based in Castlemaine, Victoria, and this is the 33 year-old artists fourteenth solo exhibition. About his practice Hilton says:
‘I’m working with the differences and potential crossovers in figurative painting, abstraction and portraiture. I am fascinated and intrigued by contemporary life and society and in finding new ways to interpret and represent the constantly changing, diverse and complex phenomena I see around me. How the formal elements of a work can influence the way a viewer experiences art is of interest and importance to me, as is searching for an essence and a summation of my chosen subject matter.
My painting process involves working on each canvas without preliminary sketches or studies as this heightens my ability to make discoveries while working. I use photographs as references that serve primarily as a guide and foundational starting point. I then sketch up and paint over sections in a responsive and intuitive way to evolve the composition while simultaneously formulating colour combinations, and working in layers until each painting is finalised.’
Opening event: Friday 22 April, 6 – 9pm
Image: Cafe, 2021, oil and acrylic on canvas, 66x76cm.