Holding Patterns

After a few months in the wilderness because of you know what, the 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art reopened its Haymarket gallery space this month with a cutely named exhibition series nodding to the unexpected intermission.

Holding Patterns is a revolving show that champions the cultural contribution of four artists in a time of crisis, showcasing adaptability in the face of disruption, like a plane circling the city, waiting to land.

Curated by Reina Takeuchi and Con Gerakaris, the series takes over the ground-floor gallery and makes use of the window displays. First up, Kien Situ navigates ideas from his East Asian upbringing and dissects his Eurocentric architectural education to stunning sculptural works, casting industrial gypsum cement with Chinese Mò ink, a material central to the artist’s practice as part of the investigation into the symbiotic relationship between geography, place and identity.

Part two, ‘Crossing Threads’, opening on August 6, is a collaborative work between Australian-born sisters of Filipino heritage, Lauren and Kass Hernandez. They create large-scale handwoven works that emulate natural forms. Using the likes of Merino wool, plant-based fibres, up-cycled fabrics and other foraged items, they intertwine hand-knotted chains of varying textures and thickness.

Shireen Taweel takes up the artistic baton for part three from September 3. Her work draws on her personal experience as a Lebanese-Australian living between cultures. Deploying traditional coppersmith artisan skills, she explores the possibilities of cross-cultural discourse.

And finally, Sofiyah Ruqayah closes the show with part four, October 1-23. She works across drawing, installation, collage and painting to explore myths and the strange territories between waking life, dream and the spirit worlds, asking us to consider our intertwined fates.

An exciting line-up, Holding Patterns sparks fascinating cultural dialogues representing the rich diversity of Asian-Australian contemporary art practice by merging traditional techniques. While entry is free, you need to book tickets here. So shake off the dust of lockdown and spring into spring with some cool multicultural capital. 

Feeling inspired? Dive into the Biennale of Sydney with our handy guide. 

This article is supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas