Savanhdary Vongpoothorn: All that arises

Abstract

Celebrating a quarter-century of the work of Lao-Australian artist Savanhdary Vongpoothorn, this exhibition highlights her contribution to the history of contemporary art in Australia. It presents an important case of an artist who traverses cultures and whose art can be read across multiple registers. Anchored in foundational concepts of Theravada Buddhism and the Pali Canon, Vongpoothorn's work also displays a deep affinity with elements of the Australian landscape and participates in the ongoing, international engagement with abstraction. Drawing strength from historical traditions primarily across a Buddhist cosmopolis stretching across South, Southeast and East Asia, Vongpoothorn's work investigates older ways of seeking, making and thinking which remain cogent and perhaps even more urgent in our time.