‘Taking inspiration from the Japanese concept of oubaitori (桜梅桃李), Sai-Wai Foo tenderly and joyfully embraces the late bloomers and the misfits in her latest body of work.
Delicately hand-cut and collaged images literally bloom out from the pages of old books and surfaces of salvaged treasures. The occasional book title peeping out – English Spinster or Wild Things – makes ironic reference to our cultural obsession with youth and refinement, and the persistent stereotypes which haunt women and social outliers.
Rich in references to the natural world, Foo’s exquisitely assembled works contain unfurling universes which are poetic, feminine, and just a little bit macabre. Notably, many creatures that metamorphose and become most beautiful in their mature state feature throughout the works: butterflies, orchids, and snakes that embody the potential for reinvention and re-emergence. In her dynamic compositions, Foo has reanimated the butterfly’s flight and the wind of the snake through foliage, releasing them from static and moribund black and white print. In salvaging and filing old prints, books, and ornaments in her vast studio stores, and so carefully reconstructing them into precious objects, Foo gives her materials a magical second life.
Foo’s bold vision is brought to life in these works which embody chaos, beauty, history, and reinvention. Lovingly plucked from obscurity and painstakingly composed into objects of beauty and value, these intimate and vibrant works are enchanting and inspiring. With Late Bloom, Foo reminds us to forget comparison and bloom in our own time’.
Meet the Artist
2pm Saturday 12 November 2022
Image above: Sai-Wai Foo Heartbreaker 2022 hardback book ‘Good Wives’ by Louisa May Alcott, pleated book papers, paper, glue, entomology …
Image above: Inconsequential idol 2022 doll figurine, ceramic bird, pleated book papers, gold leaf, dyed fresh water pearls, glass head …
Image above: installation view of ‘Have You Eaten?’, Manly Art Gallery & Museum, 2021. Image by Greg Piper, courtesy of …
Martin King ledger of the lost years ‘24 and ‘25′ N.D graphite, watercolour and gouache on drafting film and paper …
Image above: Dianne Fogwell Prescience 2023 linocut and woodcut 4,500 x 145 cm – installation at Geelong Gallery Congratulations to …
Image above: Raymond Arnold Congratulations to Raymond Arnold, who has been Highly Commended in the 2024 Glover Prize, and to …
Image above: Greg Johns The Kiss (Buried Alive) 2022-23 Corten steel 140 x 486 x 18cm “Congratulations to Greg Johns …
The three adjoining properties which comprise the Australian Galleries Sculpture Park in Porcupine Ridge are now on the market. The …
Image above: Marina Strocchi Dusk in the Hills 2023 acrylic on linen 60 x 93 cm Marina Strocchi’s insightful writing …
Image above: Greg Johns Sit Down Fella (Contemplative) 2023 Corten steel and bronze 260 cm high To view a selection …
Image above: Barbie Kjar and her winning work No Expectations 2024 Photograph by Louisa Chircop Congratulations to Barbie Kjar, Winner …
‘David Frazer is primarily a graphic artist, a printmaker, who in his work creates a little microcosm, or a convincing …
Image above: Simon Normand Map – Australia 2023 acrylic on canvas and mixed media 145 x 170 cm Simon Normand’s …