Trish Clark Gallery is delighted to present Ether, Brendon Leung’s first solo exhibition since 2020. Exhibiting a suite of new paintings arising out of his 2022 Karekare Residency, which afforded him time, space and support, Leung gratefully acknowledges the community’s role in galvanising this phase of growth, and feels their pain in the devastating wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Having completed his Bachelor of Visual Arts in 2015 and Master of Design in 2020 at Unitec Institute of Technology, Brendon Leung’s final Master’s presentation was installed at Trish Clark Gallery in 2020 to warm reception. Already included in a number of group exhibitions, Leung presented his first solo exhibition, Zeninimalism, in 2017 at TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre | Pah Homestead, and has recently completed a residency as part of the 2022 Karekare House Artist Residencies.

Born in Auckland in 1994, of Chinese/Malaysian background and raised in a Chinese/Malaysian household, Leung appears to effortlessly and unselfconsciously channel ancient approaches and knowledge into his contemporary exploration of the mediums of painting and ceramics. Eastern philosophical ideas readily embrace correlations with abstraction, the artist seeking to reference nature, space and the human condition.

While the paintings appear pared back, they might be composed of hundreds of layers, often utilising found materials as the support and unconventional materials in the making, including tea and coffee. Leung concentrates on ideas of imperfection and impermanence, drawing out the atmospheric qualities of his materials to deliver potently affecting contemplative paintings and ceramics. For Leung, the functionality of his ceramics is critical, embracing the venerable and ancient history as a part of contemporary daily life, rather than a visual form divorced from meaning and function.

Brendon Leung lives and works in Auckland.