There’s something very exciting about getting one of those “Australia Post Cards” in your letterbox, isn’t there? Sometimes you know what’s arrived at the post office, other times you don’t. This morning, as I went to the post office, it was a combination of both. I was pretty sure it was an artwork from 4A Gallery, a Sydney art gallery that specialises in Asian and Asian-Australian art. But although I’d “bought” the work, I didn’t actually know what it was. A few months ago I signed up for their “Edition” project, which they described at the time as…

It’s a subscription where four mystery, limited edition artworks get delivered to your door four times a year. You support 4A at the same time as developing a collection of Asian and Asian-Australian art. Edition is limited to 100 subscriptions, so hurry. $500 or $450 for 4A Members.

Great idea, eh?

And today I took delivery of the first of the four works. It’s a print by the artist Jason Wing. Until today, I’d never heard of him. And so the first thing I did, after unwrapping the work, and enjoying it, was go online and read a little more about him. The bio on his website reveals the following…

Jason Wing is a young Aboriginal artist from the western Sydney suburb of Blacktown, which has a relatively high Aboriginal population. Wing’s father is Chinese (Cantonese) and his mother is an Aboriginal woman from the Biripi people in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Sydney’s College of Fine Arts in 1998, Wing has steadily emerged in the Sydney and national art scene as a versatile artist who explores issues of bi-cultural and Indigenous political identity, environmental awareness and spirituality with a street-wise flair (owing in part to his use of stencil printing) and strong commitment to community engagement.

So what did I think of the work? I love it. In particular, the rich colours which, unfortunately aren’t all that well captured by my camera phone. I also really like the playfulness of the image. Combined with an excellent print on good paper, and I’m very, very happy. I’m torn at this stage though between whether I’d like to put it up in my office at work or have it up on my wall at home. I’m leaning towards my office at the moment.

Next? Framing.