Four of the Surf Coast’s most promising painters will combine for the inaugural Surf Coast Youth Exhibition this school holidays.
“This is a very exciting display of the wealth of upcoming, emerging talent we have growing in our community,” said exhibit co-ordinator Cinnamon Stephens.
“They all have a fresh vibrancy to their art in very different ways.”
First in the quartet is this year’s Surf Coast Youth Arts Award winner, Momoko Rose.
The 18-year-old from Jan Juc draws inspiration from nature and human emotion to paint flowers and human portraits.
A multi-talented artist, Rose is studying music at Oxygen College, where she will record her debut EP.
Earlier this year she ran a joint exhibition at Kubu Studio in Geelong with Martha Dawson, who will again join her at the Surf Coast Youth Exhibition.
Dawson’s art explores the connection surfers have with the ocean through the medium of Mandala, a geometric image traditionally associated with Buddhism and Hinduism.
The RMIT fine arts student uses the artform to depict the raw feeling and emotion of immersion in the ocean.
Joining Dawson is Harry McEvoy, who earned a spot in the National Gallery of Victoria’s Top Arts exhibition due to his VCE Studio Art in 2016.
McEvoy recently held his first solo show Super Raw at Geelong’s Boom Gallery.
The young artist balances his two passions, skateboarding and painting, producing sought-after Jean-Michel Basquiat inspired paintings.
Fellow artist Edward Matthew also works out of a home studio, in Jan Juc.
His recent body of work echoes the natural surroundings of his coastal backyard.
His illustrative artworks juxtapose sharp geometric shapes and finely detailed line-work with spontaneous bursts of colour.
He uses the opposition of abstraction and realistism to create a minefield of colour and shape.
The exhibition runs from 1-16 July, between 11am and 4pm daily, with creative workshops at 1pm most days.
The artists will be at the event to meet locals on 8 July, from 4pm to 6pm.
