Figurative art is seen through a contemporary new lens in this new group exhibition curated by Brad Keats. Each of the 11 featured international artists has reimagined the figurative style to explore their culture, heritage and pressing societal issues — many of which have historically been overlooked by the art world. The result is an intriguing and visually diverse exhibition that provides an exciting look at new names to watch.

A mix of painting, sculpture and textile pieces, the 30 featured works each adapt the figurative style to comment on or shed light on their own culture and the issues faced by their people. Highlights of the exhibition include Caroline Wong’s Caroline, Katharine, and Alisa, (2022) an exuberant colourful play on classical portraits that provides a fresh, contemporary perspective on East Asian women. Another striking work is Anne von Freyburg’s Trickster (After Fragonard, the Toilet of Venus) (2022), which sees the artist hand stitch fabrics over her paintings to comment on today’s consumerist society and the excesses of the fast fashion industry. In other works, such as the evocative pieces by Hanna Murray, Ivana Štulić and Wilba Simson, the subversion of figurative art is made through absences or anonymity, raising questions about the individuals who are ignored in current socio-political conversations.