Telly Tu’u is a Sydney-based artist, born in Wellington New Zealand. Culture is a seminal part of Tu’u’s practice, drawn from his Samoan, Chinese, Tokelau and Tuvalu heritage. His atmospheric abstract works call upon references including the Samoan Pe’a (tattoo) or Tapa cloth, which comprise patterns abstracted from nature. Tu’u’s paintings are celebrated for their gestural marks and washes, which build captivating movement and continuity upon the canvas. In his paintings, hard-edge forms interrupt atmospheric, smoke-like surfaces to create visual anchors – moments suspended in time upon an ambient, constantly moving backdrops.
Tu’u will make his debut at James Makin Gallery in our forthcoming group exhibition, Chapter Three. A major solo exhibition by Telly Tu’u will be held in 2022.
