Another Big Month Ahead at KiLN!

The work of Japanese born, and now Brisbane-based artist, Ai Shah, is a well kept secret set to be unveiled at KiLN Gallery in November.

From her Highgate Hill studio, Ai develops her beautifully atmospheric photo-realist works, applying her incredible talent to the vistas of Maleny, Lismore, Elanda Point and many more.

Ai combines an Eastern aesthetic with a fascination for the Australian landscape to create her detailed works.

“It’s quite astonishing that having lived in Australia for only 12 months, Ai is able to capture the depth and detail of this landscape. She also grasps the expanse and character of the Australian landscape, and is able to depict the beautiful melancholy of this place” observes curator Tom Francis.

“My interest in landscapes comes from the feeling of building an intimate relationship with nature and society through painting. I especially enjoy the particular moment in the process of each painting when the brush becomes an instrument for breathing life into the canvas. In this series of Australian landscapes, I have been particularly struck by the way light affects the mood of each scene” explains Ai.

KiLN prides itself on showing a number of clearly talented young emerging artists each year, and is thrilled to be present Ai’s first solo exhibition, revealing her incredible talent to Brisbane audiences.

Visitors to KiLN Gallery next month will see the latest work from Queensland shoemakers Jackie Orme Ward and Adrian Lockwood of Pendragon, who have been catapulted onto the international fashion scene recently in a photo shoot for Italian Vogue.

With their specially designed Pendragon boots afoot models wearing Prada, John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood, these ‘aussie cobblers’ are now part of an elite fraternity whose product has been shot by international celebrity and high fashion photographer Steven Meisel.

'We were stunned when [New York stylist] Karl Templar’s assistant rang us and asked us for boots for Italian Vogue,' Jackie said.

They had stumbled upon Pendragon’s website while searching for very special footwear to pair with the couture pieces already sourced for the shoot.

'Initially we thought it was a hoax’, says Jackie, ‘but we soon realised it was a great opportunity for us to be part of something extraordinary.'

Within the space of a week, the talented duo designed and created nine pairs of men’s and women’s boots for the iconic Oliver Twist shoot, which highlights the boots in dramatic and playful poses.

‘We had very little sleep and worked like we were in a pressure cooker’, says Jackie, ‘We were still putting shoe laces in boots and nailing heels on while waiting for the international courier!’.

Brisbane audiences will be the first to view Pendragon's new range, To Have and To Hold, from 6-29 November at KiLN Gallery.

The collection was inspired by an old parchment covered in ink calligraphy from the 1770’s. They have printed these scripts on the linings, soles and heels of boots and shoes that also feature velvets, braids, tapestries, playing cards and even a lion’s head handle sourced from an antique clock at a local dump.

To Have and To Hold opens at KiLN Gallery Friday 6 November and continues until Sunday 29 November, alongside the work of painter Ai Shah.

Check out Pendragon's new website: www.pendragonshoes.com