Art vs. The Economy

Here at Compendium Gallery we understand the dismal state the economy is in, causing inflation and the cost of living to constantly rise. This means working longer hours, doing harder jobs and stressing ourselves out just to stay afloat. 

But we need to remember to not only take time to take care of ourselves but also to treat ourselves. Something so little as buying a piece of art in order to brighten up your living space can make all the difference in the world during these hard times.

So our Assistant Curator here has filtered through our stockroom to find affordable pieces in different price ranges that are sure to compliment any room….

UNDER $3,000

MARCO PENNACCHIA

Portrait n0.1

Oil on canvas

45cm x 45cm

$2,500

Discovered in this quaint little space being eaten up by a salon style hang, a curator at Compendium Gallerys discovered Marco Pennacchia, and was taken back by his ability to create something so small yet so impactful. Italian native Pennacchia uses a realistic aesthetic in a very contemporary manner to create portraits without actually depicting one's face. Clearly influenced by tapestry and the way it crumples and creases, in this case satin,  Pennacchia has adopted a cubist ideal involving the ability to push the limits of representation. And to have done so in a realist manner is truly remarkable. 

This work is framed in a black box frame and is ready to hang.

CARL HENRY

Blur #5

Mixed media 

52 x 42 cm

$3,000

The master of making works glow without lights is repeat exhibitor Carl Henry. Being a favourite of both our clients and staff here at Compendium, Henry has this impeccable method of blending these colours into a polished abstract utopia, then drowns the canvas in layers of varnish. This give his works this surreal sense that they are glowing in a room full of either natural or manufactured light. 

Though his larger works are north of $5,000, Henry created a series of smaller works that are much more affordable, still with the same level of quality and genius as his larger pieces.

UNDER $2,000

CARMELINA GRECO

Journey of Life

H/40cm W/36cm D/10cm

White stoneware clay

Glazed in a white

$1300

Icon of the clean aesthetic, Sculptor and lover of all things natural Carmelina Greco is yet another new artist we at Compendium Gallery are loving at the moment. Her first solo show ‘Circle of Life’ was held here at Compendium Gallery and was received very well. With collectors contacting us from all corners of the world trying to get their hands on one her Clay masterpieces. Her works have this playful light fluidity to them, whilst being very grounded and solid art objects. Greco is heavily influenced by all things natural and organic which is very evident, with many of her sculptures coming across as if they were once living organisms that have been frozen in time by the artist's hand.

This work is glazed giving it a light sheen, making it the ultimate centrepiece or piece of complimentary sculpture for any home or office.

CHRIS WATTS

Two of Hearts

Giclee archival print

Edition of 10, framed 

84cm x 160 cm

$1700

Painter and musician Chris Watts is a newer artist to enter the Compendium family and we couldn't be happier to welcome him into our little fold. Heavily influenced by pop culture and the rock and roll lifestyle, Watts has created a series of strong, powerful and fun portraits of women that come across with (for lack of a better words) ‘good vibes’. The characters he has created that were displayed here at Compendium gallery for his solo show titled “My First Rodeo” are so mesmerising in the most playful way, as a viewer you almost want to know the backstory of her and hear the outrageous stories you know she would have from her many travels.

Two of Hearts is a print of an original and is only one 10. This work does come in a lovely white timber frame and is ready to be hung. 

UNDER $1,000

TIM TAVARIA

Elanor (God is my light)

2023

Archival print on 210gsm textured cotton paper

A1 (594 x 841 mm)

$350

King of composition Tim Tavaria is a part of the Compendium family, and we were so happy at the overall positive reception we received from his first solo photography show ‘Horizons’. Tavaria is Neo Traditional artist at Compendium Tattoo, specialising in depictions of flora and fauna, with his favourite subject matter being ornithology. Having won countless awards in the tattoo industry, where composition is a big component, it is easy to see how his natural ability to capture composition has been transferred from his tattoos to behind the lens. These works also have an incredible level of detail, where the viewer can see every individual feather and skin detail, all without any retouching to the subject make these works truly remarkable.

Though only $350 these works are still very generous in size being A1, They come unframed, though framing can be arranged at an extra cost.

JACK MOXEY

Monotypes #9

2022

Acrylic on paper

A4

$250

Abstract painter and filmmaker Jack Moxey has given us a view into his innermost workings with his grand collection of paintings titled Monotypes. These quietly beautiful works capture snapshots of both Moxey’s imagination and real life. Having previously exhibited grand style paintings with Compendium in the past, this collection of over 150 paintings on paper were given to the gallery’s owner like a gift from the gods packaged in a single paper folder. The gallery owner, assistant curator and tattoo artists from the Compendium family started flipping through them and were absolutely mesmerised by their abstract elegance and simplistic aura. Inspired by Paul Gauguin monotype prints he discovered in a book, Moxey decided to make his own with the production of them becoming somewhat therapeutic.

At $250 each, these works are A4 size and are acrylic on paper. Framing is not included but can be arranged at an extra cost.

Please contact us at hello@compendiumgallery.com for any enquiries.

The King of Composition - Tim Tavaria

By Ella V Reid

Tattoo Artist and Nature photographer Tim Tavaria hosted his first solo show Horizons at the Compendium Gallery with opening night taking place on the 3rd of November.

Tim Tavaria is a Tattoo artist by trade, but he does not let that be the only creative method of expression. After picking up a camera only a year ago and using his inherent skills surrounding compositions and spacial awareness he has created an epic array of images of a subject matter he holds dear to his heart. Birds.

Without a team, specialised equipment, or predetermined plans, Tavaria ventures along nature trails in search of what he terms "Gifts from nature." He firmly believes that these unique moments can only be seized at the precise location and moment. In contrast to his stylised paintings and tattoos, his photographs are unembellished snapshots in time, preserving the extraordinary details and positioning of his subjects.

Dedicating his show to his friend he named Bill. The Raven who would visit Tavaria’s balcony daily during COVID lockdowns, Tavaria exhibits the hidden beauties and epic details of ornithology with this exhibition. 

With this style of exhibition being something relatively new to the Compendium Gallery, the team were thrilled to see the amazing responses the exhibition got as well as the sale of many prints. 

This exhibition and Tavaria’s methods are a prime example of ‘from the artist's hands’ as every single detail from taking the photo to the printing process is all done by Tavaria’s hands alone.

Curators Highlights

Tim Tavaria

Elanor (God is my light), 2023

Archival print on 210gsm textured cotton paper

$350 unframed

$850 framed

*edition of 5

This photograph is one of the most striking of the collection. The image is of a white Hawk

Though nature photography is not something new to the art world this photograph is a prime example of what sets Tavaria apart. The composition of this work is so mesmerising that it makes its audience question how Tavaria was able to get such a perfect shot without training and staging the bird in that position. 

The heavy detail that Tavaria has captured is also remarkable. As you get closer to the print, the viewer can see every single strand of the Hawks feathers and every bump in its feet.

Tim Tavaria

Mama Pūtakitaki, 2023

Archival print on 210/310gsm textured cotton paper

$350 unframed

$850 framed

*edition of 5

Large size

$1650 framed

*one only

This shot of a duck, though has an outstanding level of detail Tavaria encompasses in all his photographs, the composition of this photograph is outmatched. How earthy tone and the stark white of the ducks feathers collide to create this perfect harmonious line almost makes you question if these two parts come from the same animal.

Another element that makes this composition so impressive is the fact that Tavaria was able to candidly capture another duck in virtually the same position and arrangement, only in reverse. This work serves as Mama Pūtakitaki counterpart and is titled Papa Pūtakitaki

The Compendium Gallery is privileged to have presented Tim Tavaria’s inaugural solo exhibition, Horizons. We eagerly anticipate the future endeavours of this exceptional artist, and the creative journey that lies ahead.

Horizons was hosted at The Compendium Gallery from 3rd of November to the 18th of November 2023.

To view the catalogue please Click Here

For any enquiries please contact us at hello@compendiumgallery.com

Summer Exhibition

Photos by Simon Strong

The Compendium Gallery team are thrilled to unveil their current Summer Group Show, promising a visual feast that will captivate art enthusiasts throughout the holiday season. This carefully curated exhibition features an impressive array of artworks by both emerging and established artists, ensuring a delightful journey through diverse styles and expressions.

Compendium Group Show: From left to right: Andrew Farmer, Daniel McAuley, Carl Henry. Photo By Simon Strong

With a thoughtful pricing strategy ranging from $500 to $10,000, The Compendium Team has made art accessible to everyone, presenting a golden opportunity to discover the perfect gift or a stunning addition to one's personal collection.

The inclusion of talents like Carl Henry, Nunzio Miano, and Christopher Tóth transforms this exhibition into a celebration of colour, talent, and boundless innovation.

In Gallery II hosts Melbourne's art luminary, Scott Livesey. Visitors are treated to a curated selection of stockroom favourites, featuring works by iconic artists such as Todd Hunter, Jack Rowland, and Terry Taylor. This collaboration enhances the overall experience, providing a harmonious blend of established and emerging voices in the art world.

Scott Livesey Galleries. From Left to Right: Jack Rowland, Luke Sciberras, Kate Bergin, Stephen Dunlop, Collin Pennock, Sonia Payes. Photo By Simon Strong

The Group Show is not just an exhibition; it's a celebration of artistic diversity, a visual journey through the expressions of gifted creators. Both The Compendium Team and Scott Livesey Galleries, have each crafted an immersive and uplifting experience that is sure to leave art lovers inspired and delighted. This showcase is a testament to the vibrancy of the Melbourne art scene and a must-visit during this festive season.

Scott Livesey Galleries. From Left to Right: Dick Watkins, Todd Hunter. Photo by Simon Strong

We at Compendium Gallery and Scott Livesey Galleries wish everyone a safe and happy holidays and look forward to seeing you all  in the New Year.

This show is currently exhibiting now at Compendium Gallery and will run over the Holiday period until the 27th of January. 

Please note, Compendium Gallery will be closed the 24th of December to the 2nd of January

To view the this exhibitions catalogue please click here.

For any enquires please contact compendiumgallery@gmail.com

Kris Sunkee’s Offering

by Ella V Reid

Hosted at the Compendium Gallery, Tattoo artist and Painter Kris Sunkee has made his official debut to the contemporary art world and what a debut it was! Selling out his first solo show is something emerging artists dream of, and for Sunkee it was an added bonus of getting to share something that was so personal to him to the public.

Sunkee’s grand scale painting with his combination of a realist and abstract aesthetic with the use of the female form as a vehicle to express ideologies around sexuality, consciousness and the multifaceted dimensions of human existence.

Opening night for his show An offering to God saw friends, family and those just wanting to catch a glimpse of Sunkee’s incredible artistic ability gather to revel in something that this artist has put his time, effort and very state of being into was truly heartwarming to see. 

To see Sunkee exhibit something he is so very passionate about and to have it receive the ultimate expression of approval is truly astonishing to see.

Curators Highlights

Kris Sunkee

Ive Been High, Ive Been Low

2023

Oil on Belgium linen

166cm x 116cm

$6,800

SOLD

This grand scale canvas of a fragmented female really encompasses a key ideology that Sunkee explores in this collection of works. This large painting clearly expresses the levels our state of consciousness can achieve, to reflect on the complex fabric of our own interconnected awareness. The use of repetition of the female face and it being such a subjective motif face allows for such a strong connection to the work as a viewer.

This motif adopts a key Modernist ideal, the use of an abstract aesthetic, motif or subject matter that isn't forcing any specific feeling onto the viewer, rather allowing for the viewer to project their own thoughts, feelings and experiences onto the work. And for Sunkee to have created this sense with such a simple motif such as repetition is extremely outstanding and only highlights Sunkees ability to connect with his audience.

Kris Sunkee

The Colour of Bruises

2023

Oil on panel

70cm x 60cm

$3,500

SOLD

Painted of a woman who was once a part of Sunkees life, The Colour of Bruises takes influence from the Pre Raphaelite movement, sharing a similarity with the movements most iconic work The Lady of Shalott by John Williams Waterhouse. Though the work still sticks to Sunkees auteurial qualities including an abstract background, still giving that strong naturalistic sense. This envelops the realistic female figure, giving an overall tranquil feeling to the work. This work was one of the smaller works exhibited in this show but was a favourite for many.

The work was purchased by a woman who though had never bought a piece of art in her life, knew she had to have this piece as it reminded her of the previously mentioned The Lady of Shalott. Sunkee and the Compendium were more than honoured to be a part of this woman's first artistic purchase and hope she enjoys the painting for many years to come.

The Compendium Gallery is honoured to have hosted Kris Sunkee’s first solo exhibition An Offering to God and we look forward to what comes next for this marvel of a painter.

An Offering to God was hosted at The Compendium Gallery from 22nd of September to the 7th of October 2023.

To view the catalogue please Click Here

Though the show has sold out, Kris Sunkee has works in his studio available for purchase as well as his books open for commissions. For any enquiries please contact us at hello@compendiumgallery.com

Top 100 Hottest Collectable Australian Artists List - Terry Taylor and Matthew Quick

29/09/2023

By Ella V Reid

The Compendium team would like to give a huge congratulations to two of our exhibiting artists Terry Taylor and Matthew Quick for making the Top 100 Hottest Collectable Australian Artists List for 2023!

Both artists produced outstanding bodies of work to display here at the Compendium Gallery and we are so proud that they have made this prestigious list. The Top100Artists committee is made up of academics, gallerists and collectors who carefully select established Contemporary artists ‘to watch’ within the Australian art scene.

The Demonic Ascension - Installation shot, Gallery II

Terry Taylor exhibited with us July/August with her exhibition titled The Demonic Ascension. Dedicating much of her practice to expressing the fragility of this world we live in, Taylor has exhibited her hauntingly beautiful skeletal works around the globe. Fascinated with the dichotomy of life and death, Taylors depicts skulls, the ultimate symbol for death, and breathes life into her figures by positioning them in these playful poses and settings giving them a strong dynamic energy. 

Taylor often explores religious themes within her work, by recreating iconic biblical verses and narratives with her gothic skeletons. Her series The Fallen Sephrim involves grand deceptions of the Sephram, which in Christian teachings are described as the highest ranking deity in Christian theology as they would often have direct dealings with God. The term fallen is labelled to those angels who subsequently experienced a ‘fall from grace’. This includes the iconic story of Lucifer and his descent into becoming the ruler of hell. Though the stand out of the collection was her recreation of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The Last Supper by Taylor has this overwhelming sense of excitement and joy, almost as if Hell through an unhinged soirée and the festivities were flowing. The individual works together span across over eight metres only adding to the works overall impact on its viewer.

Terry Taylor - The Last Supper

Matthew Quick exhibition Five Minutes to Famous is currently on display here at the Compendium Gallery until the 7th of October. Five Minutes to Famous explores the juxtaposition of the lives society puts online as compared to reality, which is often uninteresting and mundane.

Five Minutes to Famous - Installation shot, Gallery II

Quick explorers our constant need to be validated through social media and virtual narrative we post to express this false sense of how we live our lives. Quick achieves this with his golden, highly reflective plates to which the viewer can see themselves, only enhancing our innate sense of narcissism. He then paints highly realistic sculptures from Greco/Roman times with snapchat and instagram filters on their faces. This clash of highly detailed classical sculptures juxtaposed with prosaic objects or filters is a known aesthetic for Quick, and to see it used here for this specific ideology is just another showcase of Quick's artistic brilliance. 

We here at the Compendium Gallery would like to once again congratulate these two outstanding artists on their inclusion in this esteemed list and look forward to seeing what these two big names in the Australian Contemporary art scene come up with next.

To view Terry Taylors catalogue please Click Here

To view Matthew Quicks catalogue please Click Here

Works from both exhibitions are still available. For any enquires please email us compendiumgallery@gmail.com

Permanent - Opening Night 25/8

by Ella V Reid

With plans to exhibit a show like this for a long time, the owners of Compendium Gallery and Compendium Tattoo are delighted to share the opening of Permanent - Art by Tattoo artists.

Opening night took place on Friday the 25th of August at Compendium Gallery, starting at 6pm and going until 9pm. Unlike our typical gallery openings, this one went a little different, serving MoonDog beer and seltzers and had an extended time frame, with the owners, artists, curators and friends sitting back and reflecting on the show after the festivities subsided. 

Kris Sunkee’s white on black tattoo for his client Chron which is based off Sunkee’s work Penance.

With one of the artists submissions being re created as a tattoo, it was amazing to see that very client purchase the painting that inspired his tattoo. It was also amazing to see so many of the artists who exhibited in the space come and see their art in a commercial gallery setting and experience the gallery and sales process.

The opening was a success with many of our sales being made that night, with a range of buyers including friends of the artists, clients, gallery staff and the artists themselves.

Overall it was great to see the art world and the tattoo world coming together to appreciate the talents of all those who have different creative outlets.

Curators Highlights

Elric Gordon

Obsidian Rose

2022

Charcoal on paper

47cm x 40cm

$2,000

Elric Gordon is a part owner of the Black Mark Tattoo studio in Melbourne, who specialises in black and grey realism tattoos. His work Obsidian Rose really stood out to me when it was delivered to space. Something so simple yet so beautiful was so lovely to see from an artist whose commissions on skin are quite large scale and complex. Then learning that the charcoal drawing was created using the reduction method just made me appreciate its simplistic beauty that much more. 

Gordon intends to delve deeper into his art making practices with different methods and materials, and I am very interested to see what he will be working on next. I look forward to having him exhibit with us again.

Insamnia

Abyssus

2023

Oil on canvas

120cm x 84cm

$4,500

SOLD

One half of the owners of Compendium Gallery and Tattoo Studio, Sam Nugent (who goes by the pseudonym Insamnia) really showcases his artistic and tattoo style with this piece titled Abyssus. His tattoo style is described as Bio Organic and it is very prevalent in this piece. 

Though the colour palette chosen gives the work this eerie sense of three dimensionality, It's the level of harmony in this piece is what stood out for me.

Abyssus may look like something out of one's nightmare, but the way in which Insamnia has made the figures and the details that embody them flow is beyond incredible. It is so amazing to see that Insamnia can just as easily display organisms that synthesise so well with each other on canvas as he does on the skin of his clients.

Ava McConkey

Somebody Someone

2023

Oil on canvas

36cm x 28cm

$480

SOLD

Ava McConkey is a tattoo apprentice at Perfect Circle Tattooing in Shepparton who is at the beginning of both her artistic and tattooing career. Though saying she is at the beginning of her career, what a beginning it is! I was introduced to her work by one of the gallery owners Kris Sunkee and I was shocked that such a young woman so early in her career was able to create such a hauntingly beautiful piece. After being shown her work Somebody Someone I was so enamoured by it I just knew it had to be one of the show's hero images. 

Somebody Someone encompasses the timeless tradition of the female portrait and reworks it almost to emulate something that might exist on a billboard out of an 80s anime cityscape, or an advertisement that would be in a shop window or tv screen in one of the Blade Runner films. She achieves this with the use of a simple yet impactful colour palette and a geometrically fractured yet realistic aesthetic.

These are just some of the few reasons I purchased this piece. 

I have also learned that it will be part of a serious so I am very excited to see what comes next for McConkey.

Kris Sunkee

My Troubles with God

2023

Oil on canvas

200cm x 200cm

$11,500

One of the owners of the Compendium Gallery and Tattoo Studio, Sunkee painted this woman as a means to capture and display beauty for beauty's sake like Baroque icon Caravaggio, to whom Sunkee is a great admirer. 

I have had my eye on this painting for months after Sunkee showed me an image of it unfinished in his studio. I would check up on it and ask how it was doing like its blood shared my bloods DNA (though this was very much not the case). So the day I finally got to see it in its infinite and 2x2 metre glory, to say I was a little starstruck was an understatement. The figure in My Troubles with God is so striking. She looks down as if to either pass judgement or stare into the soul of those who meet her gaze. This alongside the grand scale of the painting just makes it that much more mesmerising. 

This painting is just a preview of whats to come from Sunkee with the Compendium Gallery hosting his solo show titled an Offering to God which opens on the 22nd of September. 

Permanent will be running until the 16th of September.

To view the shows catalogue please click here.

For any enquiries or purchases please contact compendiumgallery@gmail.com

Not Your Average

Words by Ella V Reid
Image by Simon Strong

A new commercial Gallery taking the barriers of art to a whole new level. Compendium Gallery is situated above The Melbourne Compendium tattoo studio in the heart of Armadale.

Not your average gallery owners, Kris Sunkee and Sam Nugent (Insamnia) are two iconic Melbourne tattoo artists who refuse to let their creative expression be confined to the skin of their clients. Sunkee and Nugent, after buying the space above their tattoo studio, turned the space into a commercial gallery space to showcase the prominent Contemporary artists that Australia has to offer. Though this is not limited to those who only identify as fine artists. Sunkee and Nugent also exhibit works by prominent tattoo artists as well. It is often believed that many, if not all tattoo artists work exist on either the screens on their ipad and then transferred in the deep layers of their clients skin. The Compendium boys have created a space that breaks apart that stereotype and exhibits beautiful art objects created by some of the most notable tattoo artists both in Australia and Internationally.

This is also not limited to themselves. Both Sunkee and Nugent are prolific painters, who paint stunning canvases, both inspired by their tattoo styles but also by some key figures in the art world such as Caravagio and Dalí. Though still tattooing in their own personal styles, their artistic explorations they exhibit on canvases are not bound by a client's wishes or constraints, which allows them the creative freedom given to any other Contemporary artists working in today's art climate.

With the help of Elle Zoltak, someone who has made her mark in the Australian art scene, working as an ambassador for multiple art fairs and having years of commercial gallery experience, Zoltak manages the gallery’s day to day as well as curating the shows.

The gallery has been involved in breaking barriers between art and tattooing, having recently been involved in the Rites of Passage tattoo expo. Both the gallery and tattoo studio had their own booth, with the gallery exhibiting works by artists who had held previous shows at the Compendium gallery such as Ben Howe, Christopher Tóth and Terry Taylor. The display also included works by tattoo artists Benjamin Laukis, Natalie Nox and the Compendium boys.

The Compendium boys, like any other tattoo studio, have guest artists and apprentices who are also invited to allow their creative energy to run free. Hosting a monthly ‘Paint Night’, tattoo artists, apprentices and gallery assistants are invited to sit down in front of an easel and either paint a live model or a piece they have been working on. This alongside with their tutelage and any advice the boys can offer to enhance the skills of the next generation of tattoo artists.

Together Sunkee and Nugent have created a space unlike any other. What they have built is an environment that has broken the ideology that the fine art world and the tattoo world are not synonyms with each other.

Rites of Passage 2023

Compendium Gallery recently exhibited at Rites of Passage Tattoo Festival, held at The Royal Exhibition building, Carlton.

Artists: Terry Taylor, Ben Howe, Kris Sunkee, Insamnia, Christopher Tóth, George Kennedy, Benjamin Laukis, Natalie Nox and Helio Bray and Jack Moxey.

Artist Profile Magazine

A Compendium of Riches by Ashley Crawford. Photographed by Simon Strong

The art world and the art of the tattoo have long held each other at a wary distance.  While they often share an adherence to certain formulas, and both suffer from cliched notions of ‘what is art?’ where they most often differ is in terms of media. Not ink, which can and does apply to both, but in the medium to which it is applied, which in tattoo art is, of course, that infinitely tricky canvas of the human epidermis.

Tattooing as a fine art has a history as long as human culture itself, from the ritualistic, such as that of the Maori, to the narrative, seen with the Yakuza. In the Western world, the tattoo is often relegated to the realm of the decorative. An exception in Australia to this has been artist and tattooist eX de Medici who also works on paper. A ‘collector’ of Medici’s work once offered her flayed skin to the National Gallery of Australia upon her demise, no doubt to the dismay of the gallery’s curators.

In an attempt to cross the existing divide between the art and tattoo worlds, the founders of the hyper-influential tattoo studio The Melbourne Compendium, Kris Sunkee and Samuel Nugent, have joined forces with gallerist Elle Zoltak to establish the Compendium Gallery, a space that will rattle all of the bars between mediums.

Located in High Street, Armadale, the new gallery takes over from the space established by Scott Livesey Gallery who have moved down the road. The Melbourne Compendium tattoo studio will run from a space beneath the exhibition space.

 “The tattoo studio will have a gallery space with rotating art by tattoo artists and once a year we will curate a tattoo artist to exhibiting in the main space,” says Zoltak. “Both owners, Sam and Kris, have been tattooing and painting in multiple forms for over 12 years each, so having a gallery owned by artists gives us a great framework and advice to help both upcoming and established artists.”

MORE ON SAM AND KRIS

The gallery will focus on emerging artists with some established names, including occasional artists represented by Scott Livesey. “The first year or so we’ll be exhibiting a variety of different styles which favour towards the more realistic and surrealistic oil paintings, but we want to exhibit all styles and genres of art,” says Zoltak.

And the selection thus far is eclectic indeed. In June Compendium will exhibit Harry Bayston, a painter and sculpture RMIT Graduate, and in July, Zac Chester, an exuberant painter who lives with Down Syndrome and is also an actor and dancer.

In September, the space will host a major showing by Ben Howe,  a painter who the team spotted at the NotFair Art Fair of which Zoltak is a board member and curated by gallery director Kris Sunkee.

Howe is an Australian-based artist born in London, UK. Over nearly two decades, he has explored the nature of consciousness, personal history and the incongruities of memory through his artwork, which has taken him to England, Germany, China and the USA. Howe is known for his signature quasi-scientific aesthetic that is at once hyper-realistic yet reductive. His at times stark and lonely works are often derived from preliminary explorations in other media such as sculpture, photography and film; his process distorting the boundaries of the real and the perceived.

Following that, Compendium will host a group show of RMIT Painting Graduates, Marion Abraham, Karen Eriksen and Michelle Yuan Fitz-Gerald and RMIT Photography Graduate
Parminder Kaur, while in October they will feature the photography of established artists Deborah Paauwe and Mark Kimber. In the smaller space they will feature Amander Westley, a young Indigenous (Ngarrindjeri from Encounter Bay in South Australia) female painter.

From the graphic imagery of some of Australia’s top tattoo artists to the painterly and photographic, Compendium promises to be a vibrant and fresh space for Melbourne’s ever burgeoning art world.

Zac Chester 2022