Jasper Knight. Centennial Palms, 2022. Enamel, gloss acrylic and gesso on linen. 152 x 137cm. Courtesy: the artist and James Makin Gallery, Melbourne.

The Shade Bakers, marks an exciting development in the career of Jasper Knight. Known largely for his portraits and industrial landscapes, The Shade Bakers focuses upon a botanical subject matter – namely, the palm trees that pepper the familiar landscapes of Australian cities.

For Knight, this is not a departure from his usual subjects, but rather an alternative focus. Amidst the urban landscapes of Perth, Melbourne and Sydney – depicted in this body of work – large, and often heritage listed palm trees are as present as industrial features, and establish a sense of place as readily as its population. For Knight, this shift of focus was partly a response to our recent inability to travel. We readily associate palm trees with travel destinations, but as the artist observes, once noticing these ‘exotic’ aspects of international landscapes at home, “the more you look, the more there are – absolutely everywhere.”

Opening Event: Saturday 30 July, 2 – 4pm