Sammy Veall x Hunter & Folk
Melbourne-based artist Sammy Veall teams up with Hunter & Folk to display her second solo exhibition, Faraway.
Words: Holly Terry I Photography: Paris Tilley
Sammy Veall in her Fitzroy studio. Photo: Paris Tilley
Days at the Market by Sammy Veall. Photo: Paris Tilley
Hunter & Folk and Melbourne-based artist Sammy Veall come together for their first solo exhibition collaboration, Faraway. Think vibrant art, groovy tunes, vino and of course a fire lit for the Melbourne chill.
For Hunter & Folk, this exhibition signifies a new direction, supporting Australian emerging artists. ‘We're so thrilled to be able to collaborate on our first exhibition with Sammy Veall, we’re such big fans of her work. Hunter & Folk is a big supporter of Australian emerging artists and working together to bring exhibitions to life, such as Sammy’s, is a direction we feel fortunate to dive into,’ editor of Hunter & Folk, Hande Renshaw shares.
Incorporating her characteristically warm and earthy use of colour to invoke feelings of nostalgia for distant places, Faraway demonstrates an exciting evolution in Sammy’s practice which she is excited to share.
Previously focusing on portraiture, the artist has been busy focusing on the backgrounds for this series, a goal she set for herself last year. Moving beyond the study of facial expression, it is this expansion which allows her works to take on another layer, telling an entire story of a distant street scene.
‘This was due to a lack of confidence to add anything else mixed with being so enthralled with the details of the faces that I didn’t want to take away from them. At the end of last year my goal was to focus more on scenes, capturing the mystique of faraway lands with all the surroundings included,’ says Sammy.
‘The colours evoke a feeling of nostalgia for faraway places with warm climates and wonderful cultures,’ says Sammy Veall. Photo: Paris Tilley
The Unassuming Seller by Sammy Veall. Photo: Paris Tilley
“I’m constantly trying to challenge myself but it’s very easy to stick to what feels comfortable. It’s also easy to be hard on yourself when something doesn’t work out. I feel I’ve turned a corner, I now feel comfortable allowing each work to be a complete work in progress.”
‘I feel as though we’re both relaxed and just love what we do which makes for a great partnership,’ says Sammy Veall of the collaboration. Photo: Paris Tilley
Faraway’s works demonstrate this kind of perfect imperfection. Unlike classical still life, Sammy’s vivid palettes are met with free brushstrokes to keep the works organic, much like her muses. When discussing her favourite work of the series, Sammy describes the banana lady of Bananas and Baskets, ‘She is so mysterious and beautiful. I feel a though it’s one of those moments in time that you feel lucky to have witnessed. A flash of someone’s daily life so distant from your own, completely raw and natural.
Sammy has let go of some of the structured, more rigorous processes by simply starting, paint to canvas, beginning with the background and then adding layer by layer. Sammy explains, ‘Freedom is something I long for in every area of my life. I felt I wasn’t being free enough in my expression of the practice so I removed the sketching and just let it flow… some paintings have so many layers of paint due to all the mistakes that it’s a wonder you can even lift them up!’
To view and acquire works from Faraway, you can join Sammy and Hunter & Folk at the exhibition on Friday June 3rd in Fitzroy or subscribe online for the pre-sale, which will be released at 9am, Friday June 3rd, via catalogue so keep an eye on your inbox to be in the running to take home one of Sammy’s dreamy works.
