Gian Manik’s practice is defined by an ongoing investigation into the boundaries of representation. Previously, the artist staged reflective and malleable materials – such as tin foil – to mirror environments, which he then documents and faithfully reproduces as non-representational paintings. More recently, Manik has broadened this approach by entwining abstraction with figuration.
Continuing to work from digital photographs, Manik’s paint application fluctuates between delicate and sumptuously excessive as he combines preparatory sketches with assured and adept brushwork. References from the fabric of his daily life contend with gestural passages to form a palimpsest of representation and memory.
What does Hatched mean to you?’
To be included in Hatched: National Graduate Show was one of those keystones that I hoped for, to mark or pave a career for my practice, and being part of this survey was definitely one of them. Having a diaspora of artists, represented nationally was a cool introduction to the art world; not necessarily being quite as small as I had found it previously, and definitely opened it up for upcoming challenges and successes.
