Why pay attention?
Christopher Zanko has exhibited widely both across Australia and overseas, most recently at Egg & Dart, Wollongong with the standout show Downshifter. This latest show has informed many of his recent works, building on his continuing success in Tokyo, which was capped off with a solo exhibition at the gallery LAID BUG. The artist has been a finalist in the Sulman Prize, Wynne Prize and the Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award to name a few, and has also been featured in ABC's Art Works, which explored the tactile qualities of his work.
What do they do?
Having grown out of necessity, Zanko's practice turns woodblock printing on its head.Discovering out of university that etching presses can be hard to find, the artist impro-vised, instead painting on his carved surfaces to create unique works of art. Using small blades and carving tools to etch everyday scenes into large passages of wood, the artist utilises the natural texture of his materials, emphasising the individuality of his subjects.
What's going on?
The works Zanko will be exhibiting at Sydney Contemporary continue to develop his visual vocabulary, which looks to the built landscape of suburbia to excavate layers of cultural history. Post-war, mass produced cars and houses are omnipresent even now, and yet despite their uniformity, over time they have acquired their own narratives and memories, whose significance Zanko laboriously records.The artist continues to expand his repertoire, now reaching into new palettes and even into new technologies such as 3D printing in order to give permanence to a quiet but nuanced part of our Australian heritage.
The artist says...
"My subjects are often places where significance is disputed. The process of hand carving is a symbolic step creating a sens
Why pay attention?
Christopher Zanko has exhibited widely both across Australia and overseas, most recently at Egg & Dart, Wollongong with the standout show Downshifter. This latest show has informed many of his recent works, building on his continuing success in Tokyo, which was capped off with a solo exhibition at the gallery LAID BUG. The artist has been a finalist in the Sulman Prize, Wynne Prize and the Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award to name a few, and has also been featured in ABC's Art Works, which explored the tactile qualities of his work.
What do they do?
Having grown out of necessity, Zanko's practice turns woodblock printing on its head.Discovering out of university that etching presses can be hard to find, the artist impro-vised, instead painting on his carved surfaces to create unique works of art. Using small blades and carving tools to etch everyday scenes into large passages of wood, the artist utilises the natural texture of his materials, emphasising the individuality of his subjects.
What's going on?
The works Zanko will be exhibiting at Sydney Contemporary continue to develop his visual vocabulary, which looks to the built landscape of suburbia to excavate layers of cultural history. Post-war, mass produced cars and houses are omnipresent even now, and yet despite their uniformity, over time they have acquired their own narratives and memories, whose significance Zanko laboriously records.The artist continues to expand his repertoire, now reaching into new palettes and even into new technologies such as 3D printing in order to give permanence to a quiet but nuanced part of our Australian heritage.
The artist says...
"My subjects are often places where significance is disputed. The process of hand carving is a symbolic step creating a sense of permanency within the subject matter. Similar to writing your name in cement, it is mark making you cannot un-do."
See it at...
Zanko will show with Egg & Dart Gallery, Wollongong at Sydney Contemporary 2023.ERIN IRWIN
e of permanency within the subject matter. Similar to writing your name in cement, it is mark making you cannot un-do."
See it at...
Zanko will show with Egg & Dart Gallery, Wollongong at Sydney Contemporary 2023.ERIN IRWIN
Artwork:
Christopher Zanko
DS1 (Bellambi Red Brick and Awnings), 2023
Acrylic on hand carved wood
145 x 122cm
