Marking 15 years of collaboration with Edwina Corlette and her Meanjin/Brisbane gallery, Iconic Figures: Devas, Deities and Divas presents new ceramic sculptures by Vipoo Srivilasa alongside themes and motifs that have sustained his celebrated practice for more than two decades. Playfully conceived as a ‘greatest hits’, the series features intricate floral motifs, coupled figurines, and the V-sign gesture that first debuted with Corlette in 2017.
Born in Bangkok and based in Naarm/Melbourne, Srivilasa draws on the spiritual traditions of devas and deities while embracing contemporary icons such as pop stars and drag queens. By collapsing distinctions between high and low cultural forms, he creates space for explorations of queerness, performance, and transformation.
For the first time in a commercial exhibition, Srivilasa incorporates terracotta clay into his signature blue, white, and gold palette — a material that bridges his birthplace and adopted home, referencing both the iron-rich soils of Central Australia and the pottery traditions of Koh Kret, Thailand. Visitors are invited to contribute their own drawings of modern-day or god-like idols, with selected works displayed in the gallery during the exhibition.
Over his career, Srivilasa has exhibited extensively in Australia and internationally, with works held in major public collections including Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Art Gallery of South Australia. His practice blends humour, reverence, and ornamentalism to reflect his bicultural experience and the intersections of cultural, social, and environmental ideologies.
Image: Golden Aura (front)2025, terracotta, glaze and gold lustre, 66 x 33 x 19 cm (detail).
