Inside Sam Iurada’s Fluid & Captivating Abstract Paintings
Sam Iurada’s current exhibition Evolution, at Frey in Hawthorn, includes fluid abstract works inspired by the artist’s recent trips to remote communities, secluded gorges and homesteads in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Kate Shanasy
Sam Iurada is best known for her fluid layered abstract works on canvas and raw fabric materials. Photo: Kate Shanasy
Sam Iurada pictured with Frey owner, Isabella Patterson. Clothing supplied by Cable Melbourne. Photo: Kate Shanasy
Focused on features of the Great Barrier Reef and the Australian landscape, Sam Iurada paints with the intention to translate the colour in the Australian landscape. Photo: Kate Shanasy
“There’s something about being in a place in a modern age where you have no phone reception and no access to the outside world... it’s hard for it not change you and to not evolve as a person and as a creative.”
Under the Stars at Mt Elizabeth by Sam Iurada. Photo: Kate Shanasy
‘Life is abstract and imperfect – there’s something about the free use of colour in a abstract painting that’s just so beautiful, and you often find it in the least expected ways.’ Photo: Kate Shanasy
Melbourne-based, self-taught artist Sam Iurada spent her childhood in Victoria’s regional landscape, where her weekends were spent immersed in nature on her family’s cattle farm. Her formative childhood years set up a strong foundation for her love of the Australian landscape, a pull which is still just as strong today as it was when she was growing up.
‘I’m constantly inspired by the time I spent across Australia, from working as a scuba diving instructor on the Whitsunday Island and Port Douglas in my early 20s to since becoming a mother and sharing this passion with my husband and children,’ shares Sam.
Sam and her family recently spent five weeks in remote indigenous communities of the Kimberly region, in Western Australia – the trip became the inspiration behind her current exhibition Evolution, at Frey, in Hawthorn.
While in the Australian bush, Sam embraced being removed from the modern fast-paced world that we live in, and tapped into a slower rhythm, moving away from her past marine landscapes and landing back to her core passion. ‘There's something about being in a place in a modern age where you have no phone reception and no access to the outside world... it's hard for it not change you and to not evolve as a person and as a creative,’ she says.
The artist is best known for her fluid layered abstract works on canvas and raw fabric materials. Using blends of acrylics and inks, she explores the uncontrolled patterns and layers that are created on the surface of the canvas. ‘Life is abstract and imperfect – there’s something about the free use of colour in a abstract painting that’s just so beautiful, and you often find it in the least expected ways,’ says Sam.
Sam’s process is incredibly intuitive and organic, lead by the emotions she is feeling as she’s painting – often delving deep into her memories to transport herself back to places she has visited. ‘I never try to recreate a moment or realistic image – it’s more about how the water felt when it ran through my fingers or the intricate shapes that I saw when discovering ancient rocks or the way nature just intuitively knows how its all meant to work together. Being in nature is like going to art school and learning colour theory, it’s done the work for you. You just have to slow down to see it.’
Abstract, fluid forms are a constant in Sam’s work, she leans into the feeling of surrender and the loss of control during the painting process. ‘I love that the relationship is partnership with paint instead of a master controlling its tool. The fluid technique ties back to what we see in nature, its knowing that with the right relationship, the subject matter you're working with will do what it needs to do, and the end result will be beautifully imperfect.’
Evolution is a kaleidoscope of 18 works in rich hues of purple, blue and red in Sam’s signature abstract fluid style – ‘by nature I think I like to control a lot of things in my life, but when you paint using fluid techniques you release all that control. I love this process.’
Frey
41 Church Street,
Hawthorn VIC
Exhibition dates:
Thursday, November 30 - Saturday, December 9