(DON'T) BE AN ARTIST by Kay Abude at Passage Gallery 2023

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Kay Abude's new show (DON'T) BE AN ARTIST is now open and on view 24/7 until the 4th of June.

Abude is fascinated with the nature of labour, with its economic, repetitive and somatic properties, as well as how work connects and separates us by taking so much of our time that it comes to define our lives. On display are several text based wearable artworks which depict photos of Abude's family busy at work with Arial Bold type face slogans printed atop. Her garments are like uniforms and have been worn by workers at Auckland Art Fair and on the streets of Melbourne.

Abude acknowledges the artistry that workers bring to their professions. Creativity has many faces, and it plays an important role in lending purpose to our doings. Just as Abude's definition of 'a creative' is blurred, so too are the artworks. Existing as both artwork and wearable items, Abude challenges any existing perspectives we are comfortable with and presents a new way of looking at things. The title's (DON'T) is flanked in parenthesis, giving the reader open interpretation to what the statement means.

This exhibition is part of an evolving series that has encompassed labour intensive techniques such as film, performance, textiles, and screen printing and has been exhibited at Gertrude Street's Glasshouse and Flash Forward - Creative Laneways Project.