Compendium Gallery's Winter Group Show: A Celebration of Bold Visions
As the temperature drops, our gallery walls have come alive with warmth, colour, and bold imagination. Our Winter Group Show brings together an incredible selection of work by 16 talented artists working across painting, sculpture, and mixed media. From luminous abstracts and surreal gestures to playful forms and tactile expressions, this exhibition is a celebration of contemporary creativity in all its diverse forms.
Featuring works by Zac Chester, Jessica Eun Kyoung Choi, Lucy Halifax, Maximilian Harley, Carl Henry, Juyeon Kim, Samantha Lentini, Jasmine Mansbridge, Jarrad Martyn, Daniel McAuley, Llael McDonald, Kirsten Perry, Kris Sunkee, Hanna Rose, Ceramic Rebellion, and PAINK, the show offers each artist’s unique lens and energy, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in a spectrum of stories, moods, and material explorations.
We officially opened the exhibition on Friday, 27th June, with a buzzing celebration. Almost all exhibiting artists joined us on the night, surrounded by their friends, family, collectors, and our wonderful loyal clientele. The atmosphere was vibrant and warm, a true reflection of the work on the walls and the creative spirit that brings our community together. If you'd like to attend future openings and events, we encourage you to subscribe to our mailing list via our website homepage. We’d love to see you there.
A Powerful Moment: The Unveiling of La Pietà by Kris Sunkee
Last week, we hosted a very special evening to unveil a standout new portrait by Kris Sunkee, a work that has already generated powerful conversations and admiration. Titled La Pieta, the painting captures Isis Avis Loren, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Australia, in a deeply emotional and symbolic moment.
Painted in oil on aluminium, La Pieta depicts Isis holding her own lifeless body, presented in what she refers to as “Boy Mode.” Referencing Michelangelo’s iconic sculpture, the portrait explores themes of sacrifice, grief, and rebirth. It poses urgent and intimate questions: Is she surrendering her past, or finally embracing her truth? What do we relinquish to become fully ourselves? The work fuses sacred iconography with unapologetic queer identity, stripping away sentimentality to confront the raw, often painful, journey of gender transformation and personal liberation.
We were thrilled to welcome Isis Avis Loren to the gallery for the unveiling. She looked absolutely stunning, and the room was filled with energy, admiration, and celebration. La Pieta has been entered into the prestigious Lester Prize, and we wish Kris all the best in becoming a finalist.
The Winter Group Show will be on view for a limited time, so if you haven’t already visited, we invite you to experience it in person. The works speak to the season, not with coldness, but with the warmth, depth, and courage that only great art can provide.
Explore the full [exhibition online here], view the [exhibition catalogue], and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes glimpses and artist spotlights.
Stay warm, stay curious,
Compendium Gallery
