Bonsai has been making art for as long as he can remember. Born and raised in southern Victoria, Bonsai moved to Melbourne in 2001.
He was drawn to the city by the rapidly growing graffiti scene. His work soon developed beyond restrictions of the traditional graffiti style into more organic forms. Within a short time, the form of graffiti itself gave way to a more abstract and composed painting style, consisting of murals, digital artwork and eventually fine art for an endless list of group exhibitions.
Bonsai’s work has continued to define its own language, uniquely expressing the artist affinity with nature, native cultures and geometry. Returning to nature, in order to focus on the development of his art, Bonsai is currently working from a self-sustainable, mud brick studio in country Victoria where he also now resides.
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There’s a wholesome, worldly wisdom to your work. You seem to be scratching for a more timeless and peaceful state of being, unburdened by the frivolous pressures and insecurities of the modern world. Do you have a firm philosophy that informs your work? What cultures have shaped this way of thinking?
I guess my work represents the way that I view the world… I look for individual stories in people, nature and landscapes. My aim is to capture the story and portray it in my work.
I just concentrate on enjoying my work, pushing boundaries and perfecting my craft, the rest just turns out the way it does.
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Asian motifs feature prominently in your work, but you lived in South America for a period? Tell us about this experience and how it has enriched your art.
The dedication to traditional textiles had a strong impact on my work.
Like the old ladies in the Peruvian mountains that spend twelve months weaving a poncho or a rug simply to keep their family warm and to pass on the tradition to their children… It reinforced that attention to detail really pays off in self-satisfaction.
I find that I’m constantly trying to introduce more traditional crafts like leather and woodwork into my work.
You’ve left Melbourne to start a new more sustainable life in a mud brick dwelling in the country. What prompted this radical change in lifestyle? In what ways has it been a liberating experience?
It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, move to the country, get off the grid, grow some vegetables and get away from all the distractions of the city and just concentrate on my work.
I’ve learnt so much about nature and sustainable living that has helped me to put things in perspective, refine my work and at the same time expand it. Sometimes I spend up to ten days in the bush without seeing another soul.
By about the seventh or eighth day I start to get a bit of cabin fever but I enjoy it because it allows me to be ultra productive and develop some pretty deep thoughts.
Where do you think the world will be at the close of your lifetime? Will selfish indulgence bring us to the brink of ruin or do you sense there is a collective change emerging in our relationship to the planet and each other?
I’m not sure, I just know that I’m doing my part to make a little difference.
