| PADDY BEDFORD: SPIRIT & TRUTH | Frieze Masters, London | 9–13 October 2024 | Booth B12
Melbourne, Australia, September, 12 2024 – Following the success of its debut at last year’s fair, D’Lan Contemporary is proud to announce that it will return to Frieze Masters in London this October. For this year’s edition, the gallery will present a group of paintings and works on paper by Gija artist Goowoomji Nyunkuny Paddy Bedford. Paddy Bedford; Spirit & Truth will comprise a selection of 15 paintings from 1998 to 2004 that span Bedford’s career and reflect his most important themes, including explorations of contemporary history, connections to country, dreamtime narratives, and personal history. The paintings will be shown alongside 20 gouache works on paper — a medium Bedford was introduced to in 1998 and that became part of his daily practice — which come directly from the artist’s estate.
Highlights among the paintings include Queensland Creek (1998) and Medicine Pocket (1999), both early works, with ochre palettes and strong, organic forms, while the balanced, minimal compositions and monochrome palettes of Dingo Spring 2004 and Blanket Lizard – Motor Car Yard (2004) exemplify Bedford’s later style.
 Paddy Bedford (ca.1922–2007) | Dingo Spring, 2004 | natural earth pigments
with synthetic binder on linen 122 x 135 cm
Exhibited together, the 20 gouache works on paper highlight Bedford’s instinct for form and composition and his joy of colour, and give insight into the artist’s unique studio practice. This exhibition will coincide with the publication of Paddy Bedford: Gouache, produced by D’Lan Contemporary in association with the artist’s estate. The book will be available for purchase at the gallery’s booth during Frieze Masters as well as online.
Paddy Bedford (ca. 1922–2007) | Untitled, 2003 | gouache on acid free crescent board | 51 x 76 cm
About Paddy Bedford
Paddy Bedford (ca. 1922–2007), known by his Gija name Nyunkuny or Goowoomji, is one of Australia’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed artists.
Although he performed ceremonial body painting from an early age, Bedford only began painting on canvas in 1998, at the age of 76. He had an immediate and powerful command of the medium and in his remarkable, yet short career as an artist, attracted national and international critical acclaim. His work has been exhibited widely in Australia, Europe, and the U.S. and is held in several major private and institutional collections, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Paddy’s birthplace, Bedford Downs — southeast of Warmun (Turkey Creek), in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia — was the site of a brutal massacre in the 1920s, and his name was given to him by station manager Paddy Quilty, the man who organised the poisoning and burning of Gija family members accused of killing and eating a bullock. The massacre impacted Paddy’s childhood deeply and stayed with him his entire life. But it was not a seed that festered into hatred. Instead, his exquisitely balanced yet sombre compositions reveal traditions and concepts that encourage dialogue, imparting forgiveness, and seeking understanding in a supreme act of reconciliation.
About D’Lan Contemporary
D’Lan Contemporary was founded in 2016 by D’Lan Davidson, a prominent art consultant and gallerist who has specialised in Australian First Nations art for over 20 years.
Representing the country’s most distinctive and dynamic art movement, the gallery presents regular exhibitions of modern and contemporary art by leading and emerging First Nations artists at its galleries in Melbourne and New York alongside an international programme of exhibitions, educational talks and events that celebrate and promote the rich art and culture of Australia’s first peoples.
D’Lan Contemporary was recently appointed representative of The Estate of Paddy Bedford and is honoured to continue the work of William Mora in doing so. The gallery will celebrate Bedford’s legacy through an international exhibition programme in 2024.
D’Lan Contemporary maintains strict ethical practices and is committed to generating positive industry change and creating a sustainable marketplace for this important segment of Australian art and culture. The gallery contributes 30% of its net profits to communities.
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Nicole Kenning
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D’Lan Contemporary
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