The long goodbye: ‘This is coal, don’t be afraid, don’t be scared’ (Australian Antarctic Territory) by Giles Alexander

Acrylic on birch panel

For more than a decade Giles Alexander’s painting practice has been probing space for meaning. His work has been exhibited in London, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York and Australia where he resides. Solo shows and group shows at commercial gallery’s and public institutions as well as exposure at International Art Fairs has seen his work included in high profile collection’s such as that of Sting as well as corporate, public and private collections. Alexander’s work has been shortlisted in the Archibald, Sulman, Moran and Flueriur and won the Metro prize. Additionally his work has featured in TV documentaries and been the subject of numerous on-line and print articles.

London Art Fair’s director Kate Bryan says “One cannot help but directly think of Giles Alexander in relation to the maxim Know Thyself. As a painter he belongs to a long standing academic tradition of virtuously handled oil painting and precision draughtsmanship, yet he stands aside from this, quite purposefully drawing attention to moments where he departs from tradition. This is not willful contrariness; Alexander uses and abuses his polished aesthetic as another way of interrogating his world, provocatively challenging the established ‘norm’
and questioning all that we hold dear.”

With this painting Alexander shifts our habitual sense of scale and points to the smallness and fragility of our home in the cosmos. He explains: ‘My painting practice wonders about ‘us’. I am interested in the human species. My work seeks to ask how we find a sense of belonging in our landscape, in a city, in a country, in the world, indeed in the Universe?’