Congratulations to Jason Wing, whose works have recently been acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria.

The suite of works entering the permanent collection includes two major new works from Wing’s Battleground series which boldly address the recent Black Lives Matters protests and the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook’s arrival in Australia.Drawing on the history of protest placards, Wing’s steel battle shields also reference the Gwegal shield – a priceless Indigenous historical artefact held in the British Museum. Dotted with holes, Jason Wing’s emotionally charged shields evoke the bullet which is believed to have penetrated the Gwegal shield, marking the first act of violence committed against Indigenous Australians during Cook’s first encounter at Botany Bay.

Wing’s shields offer up compelling messages of resistance promptedby the recent Black Lives Matters protests. These shields were createdby the artist in the days directly following the protests, as a responseto the eruption of emotions that have surged through the Australian public, from frustration and despair to a sense of renewed hope andempowerment. With their references to historical injustice and systemic racism they act as a powerful call to arms.

Described by art critic Helen Wyatt as “tough, necessarily blunt, yet often witty and lyrical, Jason Wing challenges dominant accountsof Australian history”. Jason Wing is a Sydney based artist who strongly identifies with his Chinese and Aboriginal Biripi heritage. With works held in the collections of many of Australia’s major cultural institutions, his art protests the loss of the rich traditions and cultural identities of his layered dual heritage and challenges prevailing perspectives of Australian history and settlement.

Artereal Gallery is proud to announce that we now represent Jason Wing and look forward to presenting a new series of worksby the artist in 2021.