Michael Armitage is only in his mid-thirties but his uniquely beautiful paintings are in huge demand around the world. The MCA is presenting his first exhibition in Australia, which includes recent work and new large-scale paintings telling stories of folklore, history and memories from East Africa. They're painted on lubugo bark cloth, sourced from the Mutuba tree in Uganda, giving his work a unique and rough texture.
Armitage is known for mashing together his own politics with some fantastical imagery to create paintings that tell strange and sometimes unsettling stories. You'll want to pick up one of the handy free guides at the entry to help explain the eclectic imagery, but even if you don't understand what's happening, the painting is undeniably beautiful.