John Warne Solo Exhibition

Opening night - Thursday the 24th of November

6 - 9pm

For most of his working life, John worked as a senior drama and english teacher in the UK and in Australia. However, following two strokes in 2006, he was left partially blind, suffering from epileptic seizures and most significantly, paralysed down his dominant left side. After a year spent in various hospitals and rehabilitation centres across Sydney, he retrained himself to speak, eat and function.

Still bound to a wheelchair, John took up painting as a therapeutic hobby and began art lessons in 2011. While his art-making started out as physical therapy to strengthen his right side, it wasn't long before it became a passion and restorative creative outlet. He has since built up a substantial collection of works and holds exhibitions documenting his artistic development.

The works in this upcoming exhibition 'Scratching the Surface’ address the gratuitous presumptions so often made about people living with disability. Each piece attempts to challenge these superficialities, recognising and celebrating knowledge, emotions and experience that can be overshadowed by disability. Abstract acrylic on canvas, his works explore themes ranging from frustration, to peace, surpassing obvious exteriors and perceptions, and exploring deeper thought.