Bird of Paradise, 2016, Joshua Yeldham
Unique hand carved archival pigment print on cotton paper, 116 x 90 cm
Provenance: Mossgreen, Melbourne.
Joshua Yeldham works across the mediums of painting, kinetic and musical sculpture, carving and photography, often melding them together to form his distinct visual language. He has a deep affinity with the natural world and love of nature, which he captures with stories of myth and imagination. Yeldham weaves together threads of the cultural ideologies, philosophies and religions in both the East and West. Yeldham has been a finalist in numerous prestigious awards including the Wynne Prize (2019, 2018, 2017, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009), Archibald Prize (2013), Sulman Prize (2006, 1998) and Mosman Art Prize (2005, 2003) and in 2015 he participated in the London Art Fair, ART15 (1).
Bird of Paradise was produced by Joshua Yeldham in 2016 as part of the 'Owls of Kyoto' collection, and is a marked movement away from his previous works capturing the Australian landscape. Yeldham had a lifelong desire to travel and work in Kyoto, and the pieces in the collection are inspired by his travels, temple climbs and experiences harvesting Japanese indigo leaves. Owls are of particular significance in this part of Japan, and are said to bring luck and offer protection, for Yeldham, ‘these owls represent my need to merge with the natural environment … they are loving owls, still and creative’ (2).
Other works by this artist: