Many of the participating artists use conventional painting materials to explore relationships with natural or urban environments or the aspects of the daily world that sustain them as individuals, while others cast a critical eye on the values engendered by society and what it means to be a global citizen.

Questioning the definition of painting, a number of works challenge ideas of what painting can be and where or how creativity can take place in our lives. The works in The world in painting are in turn beautiful, subtle, contemplative and cerebral; and the artists are united by a desire to engage the viewer in the potential painting holds today.

The Australian artists featured are: John Citizen, Amanda Davies, Diena Georgetti, Raafat Ishak, James Morrison, Nancy Naninurra Napanangka, Elizabeth Newman and Boxer Milner Tjampitjin. A selection of these artists’ works previously toured to Chiang Mai University Art Museum, Chulalongkorn University Art Center in Bangkok, Yuchengco Museum in Manila and the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi. As a result of this tour Asian artists Luisito Cordero, Sakarin Krue-On, Kamin Lertchaiprasert and Lê Quốc Việt have been selected to join the project in an exclusive presentation at Heide.

14 February – 3 May 2009, Newcastle Region Art Gallery
27 June -