Nigel Sense

Without a doubt, Sense is everything intuitive. This new series of works presented in Departure Lounge is an introduction to landscapes that counterpoint the dominance of a central character. Bold, playful landscapes filled with international perspectives, traversing an impression of belonging; all in the absence of path. Departure Lounge is a fantastical transitional space filled with the travellers tales; vastness punctuated by movement, access and the masks of common humanity. Sense, soon sets out again.

Departure Lounge is the currently Darwin-located but nomadic artist Nigel Sense’s fourth solo exhibition with Fox Galleries. With a passion for travel, Sense imbues his works with his strong sense of wanderlust. However, this time, instead of carry-on luggage, the works presented in Departure Lounge hold an emotional baggage, formed through the irony of their creation. While the paintings refer to travel and faraway lands, they were created during periods of isolation and lockdown. The result of Sense’s itchy feet is a series of dynamic and energetic paintings; a collection of souvenirs for travel yet to occur.

“They say, ‘Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom’ and I miss that freedom. The 5 am over-priced Heineken at an airport bar. That excitement and nervous energy about what will be next, always moving to the next.

‘Departure Lounge’ is about looking with less movement, being still and seeing the beauty that surrounds us with time. The new work is an extension of myself being grounded in the scene, being part of the landscape.

Not just seeing but feeling what I’m going to paint. The longer I look at the landscape the more it changes, colours shift and patterns start to repeat. It’s meditation for paintings, a stillness I’m still struggling to expect or even like.”

– Nigel Sense, 2021

Discover Nigel Sense’s recent interview here.