We all love a good catchup. More so sliding into the final weeks of the year. An art show by our brilliant friend, Andrew Wellman, would be the perfect way to celebrate life returning to normal, not to mention the perfect draw card to get all the hard to see friends together all in one place.
Not one to do things by halves, Drew’s latest show, Peace & Goreng is a celebration of life, love and the things in life that make him smile. A wall of portraits of people he’s been lucky to meet. Effortlessly distilled likenesses Drew’s painted on rich heavy textured bags he’s been smuggling back from Sri Lanka for years. Canggu Hari Ini, a set of fifteen moments of word play that can’t help but crease the faces of those who cast and eye in their direction. A series of mind pleasing multimedia panels that mentally poke you to make you think.
Drew’s been living and making art in Bali since 1998, after escaping the 9 to 5 in Melbourne Australia to follow his dreams.
His art education was anything but formal. For four years he absorbed the real day-to-day art world, working alongside Symon at his Art Zoo in Ubud and hanging out drinking coffee with Sadra, a Balinese outsider artist from whom he garnered some amazing perspective. In 2002, the allure of the sea and her waves finally drew Andrew to Canggu where he set up home, in the (once was) ricefields and here he’s been ever since.
He creates what he likes and loves what he creates. Random smiles, flowers on the kitchen table, handwriting, patina and even the fast-approaching grey clouds, all inspire his works of art.
Beauty is all around and art doesn’t only hang on gallery walls. Andrew likes to take a second glance, he sees splendour in what many assume commonplace, dinged surfboards, a kid’s drawing, food made with love, it’s all art in Andrew’s eyes.
People simply doing what they truly love are his biggest inspirations.
At his (once was) favourite Warung, that’s unfortunately no more, Nenek Ketut made the best Pisang Goreng (Deep fried Banana)in Canggu. Every day she was so proud to see everyone devour them with pleasure after their morning surfs. They were her artworks.
The paintings, prints and multimedia on the Deus Gallery walls, are Andrews.
Peace & Goreng
