Auckland based artist Julian Hooper returns to Sydney for Milk Island, his fourth solo show at Gallery 9.

Following from his previous body of work titled Metalepsy exhibited at Gallery 9 and the Melbourne Art Fair in 2012, the works in this exhibition bear compositions that evolved entirely during the painting process. The paintings are essentially abstract but for Hooper, his abstraction is a secreted kind of figuration which opens itself up to ambiguity and interpretation. His use of abstract form acts as a relaxant on representational elements. Hooper’s imagery hints at figures, landscapes, interiors and still lives. Despite these ambiguous qualities, a tension and precision underscores each of Hooper’s paintings and reveals a subject unseen.

In addition to numerous curated and group shows in Australia and New Zealand, Julian Hooper has held over 20 solo exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and New York. His work is represented in the Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art collection as well as major collections throughout New Zealand such as the Chartwell Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the University of Auckland collection, Dunedin Public Art Gallery.