Look up and see some art

Look up and see some art

By Lorraine Ellis

Next time you’re in the famous Hosier Lane, glance up to the wall of the McDonald building and you’ll see the winning submission by Melbourne-born artist ADNATE, for the inaugural ‘PAINT UP’ project.

The project, commissioned by Hosier Inc, an association of residents and those who love Hosier Lane, has been established to paint walls above ground level that have never been touched before!

ADNATE’s piece is a portrait of a local indigenous boy who is gazing across the city to Birrarung Marr, a sacred site for the Wurundjeri people.

Working with aerosol and referencing an image on his iPhone, the wall took ADNATE three days to complete.

He is self-taught and has graffitied from the age of 10.

However, about four years ago, he was bored with lettering and wished to extend himself.

He thought it might be more “fun” to communicate through hyperrealism.

Drawing on renaissance painters and classical techniques, especially that of Caravaggio and his use of chiaroscuro, he has become one of the most respected and popular Melbourne street artists.

ADNATE is also a member of AWOL, a crew of five artists whose collaborations can be found both locally and interstate.

However, with time constraints and work commitments, he mostly paints solo these days.

In July, though, there were awe-inspiring collaborations in Sydney for AMBUSH Gallery and in Melbourne, with Vincent Fantauzzo, himself a realist painter and Archibald Prize finalist.

For the past few years, ADNATE has been getting to know and mentoring local and national indigenous Australians, who became the source of inspiration for his sell-out exhibition of portraits at Metro Gallery, Armadale, in April.

Other walls to be found in the CBD, are two collaborations with Shida at Section 8, Tattersalls Lane, the aforementioned wall with Vincent Fantauzzo, Exhibition St, AXIL Coffee and Longrain.

For those seeking to do some more “Adnate-spotting” a stroll around Fitzroy will reveal spectacular solo and collaborative pieces from this hard working and prolific artist or see adnate.com.au  

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