Chris Wake

Whatlies behind the faces that we show to the world is a constant theme forAdelaide Hills artist Chris Wake. Her latest exhibition plays with thisidea in a carnival setting, with  jugglers, acrobats and magicians,even a nude opera diva, playing and cavorting through circus andoutdoor scenes,  with masks on or at hand. The effect is droll andsomehow disturbing.  Paintings are antipodean with characters haveNolanesque eyes that follow the viewer, or look sideways in unease oralarm.  Tilted heads turn away from each other creating a sense that inspite of the festive setting characters are caught in their own privateand possibly nightmare universes.

Theselarge oils on canvas exude a kind of wild energy, as if the charactersare caught in a high wind. The fish eye perspective, the twistedglasses and bottles and fluid body shapes are reminiscent of Chagall.  Jugglers’ balls, a flying dog, a red dress, bring bright spots ofcolour to paintings that are otherwise rendered in neutral greys andbrowns. A strange raft of characters include extreme opera divas,karaoke Queens, Clowns, managing directors and sea captains.  Animalsfeature also - flying dogs, pandas and hyenas as a reminder that tolive in harmony with other species.  Wake`s paintings encourageinteraction with the viewer and always evoke a unique response, this isexactly what the artist is aiming to achieve with her work.

Afinalist in the 2008 Sovereign Asian Art Prize an important art prizecovering the whole of Asia,  Wake was one of 30 selected out of over1100 professional artists, paintings were exhibited at the NanyangAcademy of Fine Arts, then Hong Kong for final judging –Eminent judgeswere from around the world including curators from Tate Modern,Guggenheim etc.  The paintings were then auctioned by Sothebys withChris Wake`s painting “Dali is Not So Crazy” achieving the secondhighest price out of the 30 lots auctioned.

Participatingin the Singapore Art Fair 2006 (showcasing collectable contemporaryartworks from all over Asia) , Wake`s work was very well received. Herwork is in private and corporate collections around Australia andoverseas, including  Ahuja Art Museum, India  .  Chris Wake studiedFine Art at Adelaide Central School of Art and has been painting since1976.  Wake's paintings are now much sought after by corporate andprivate collectors in Australia and internationally. 

Artist Statement -"Asan artist, I am compelled to go beyond a purely decorative visualconnection between the artist and viewer, to a place where my work is acatalyst of  discussion, challenge, or humor.  My works insists theviewer interacts with the painting and I am fascinated by individuals' reactions and interpretations.”

 2010 – FIFA World Cup& Largest International Fine Art collaboration in History,commissioned by 2010 Fine Art to do a painting for the World Cup inSouth Africa.  Leading contemporary artists from 32 countries areexhibiting and Chris Wake has been selected to represent Australia. Limited edition prints will be published by German company BrandsUnited and paintings will be exhibited in London, Tokyo, Spain,Europe,USA, and finally the paintings will be auctioned by FIFA.