The captivating work of emerging Queensland artist Monica Rohan will be presented in her solo exhibition, Topsy-turvy, at Jan Murphy Gallery from 19 May – 13 June.
Rohan has rapidly established herself as an artist to watch, with her intricately patterned artworks gaining her interest locally and nationally. Focussing on selfportraiture, her artworks provide an insight into her internal world. The works portray the artist navigating contemporary life in an imaginary space, where colour, pattern and whimsy dominate.
The exhibition features a series of new paintings that are part of Rohan’s greater objective to visually communicate how it feels to be overwhelmed, with the artist stating:
“By representing multiple selves, the sense of tension and unreality is heightened and the strange internal battle exaggerated. The pattern has a dual role of enforcing space between the figures, and for restlessness to manifest within the detail.”
Topsy-turvy will precede Rohan’s inclusion in a major exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), GOMA Q, from 11 July – 11 October 2015, which features Queensland’s current leading artists. This major achievement follows on from Rohan’s earlier successes, including being a finalist in the Redland Art Award in 2015 and a sell out show at Jan Murphy Gallery in 2014. She will present a solo exhibition at Tweed River Art Galery from 5 June – 4 October 2015, which showcases works she produced during her residency there in November 2014. Her work is held in a number of private and public collections, including the University of Queensland Art Museum and the Griffith University Art Museum.
Image: Yeah Right Ok (2014) Oil on Board. 77 x 60cm
