Madeleine Pfull, Sao Lady 1, 2019. Oil on linen, 101 x 116cm. Courtesy: the artists and Chalk Horse, Sydney.

Growing up in a Sydney suburb, Pfull is looking back at the past and trying to penetrate it. As a result, there is a strong dialogue between ‘art’ and ‘kitsch’ (commonly associated with drab suburbia) in her work that evaluates the way we assign meaning. Pfull reframes the way we see the women in her works. She separates them from the mass of suburban clichés be presenting them as individuals with their own aspirations and concerns.

Like most subjects whose importance has been emphasised through portraiture, Pfull give she women a sense of prestige by painting them. Her meticulous layer-upon-layer technique makes them worthy of her time and even with their bad habits and discontented expressions her characters dominate the space with a sense of purpose.

Exhibition opens: 6–8pm Thursday 2 May 2019

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