Written by Amelia Pontifex
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Shane Bonsujet is a self taught, contemporary artist living and working in Melbourne/ Naarm. He was born and raised in Zimbabwe to Mauritian parents until the age of fourteen when the family moved to Australia. Artistic from a very young age, Shane now describes his practice as “refined ideas” executed in an “unrefined manner”. Refined ideas and refined research in free and expressive forms.
Shane Bonsujet
“I started by scribbling on the walls as a kid. One of my first inspirations was my primary school art teacher, renowned wildlife artist Craig Bone. So from that, I began drawing animals and playing with different styles, like cartoons and playing with drawing. Even now, the way I create is through drawing and that childhood love of scribbling and illustrating. It’s the way that I connect with the artworks.”
Cut from a different cloth 1: Chuck Taylor | 120 x 100cm | Acrylic, fabric and oil on stretched canvas
One of the greatest themes of Shane’s artistic oeuvre is his ability to draw people, bodies and faces for both their physicality and the identities they represent.
Welp | 90 x 90cm | Acrylic, oil pastel and bandaids on stretched canvas
“I like drawing people. A big thing for me is exploring identity and what it means for me here in Australia. I feel like when I draw a face, it speaks to the connection between humans and art. When I first started, it was about exploring my history of both Mauritius and Africa and how I felt about that within contemporary Australian culture. This was once a conflict for me but now I think of it in a bigger picture and work with these ideas creatively through my paintings. While they are about ethnicity and culture, they’re more about me, trying to understand more about myself and my place on this rock that we live on. I’m always exploring the ever-shifting views of society, culture, politics, life and love.”
Elements | 122 x 102cm | Acrylic and oil pastel on stretched canvas
Existentialism plays an integral role in Shane’s work. While he draws mainly from memories and experiences, his work is more self-reflective and about the lessons he has learnt along the way.
“I create artworks that aim to provoke thought, create discussion and ultimately express feelings centred around understanding myself, life, people and the world through my eyes. I’ve also found humour to be a pivotal and growing part of my practice. It’s become a universal language that I often use to create dialogue on much deeper topics.”
Hieroglyphics no 2 | 60 x 60cm | Acrylic and oil pastel on stretched canvas
Connection to environment and nature are integral elements to Shane’s work. He will often use found canvases from Op Shops and paint over them, or use old gold found frames to frame his work, to both speak to the contradictions in ‘high art’ and graffiti style art, and to the the environmental impacts of the art industry. Typically working with acrylic paints and oil sticks, many of Shane’s works also collage and layer with pieces of paper, chalk, found images, fabric and even wood and nails.
Work in progress | 90 x 90cm | Acrylic and oil pastel on stretched canvas
A great level of research, thought and consideration goes into each of Shane’s works. His greatest influence is the work of iconic 1980’s New York graffiti artist Jean Michael Basquiat for his technique and method of processing the exterior world. There are a number of other artists who have influenced Shane’s works including Cy Twombly, Vincent Van Gogh, Joan Mitchell, Banksy, Francis Bacon and Brett Whiteley as well as Esther Erlich, Thai Mainhard, Laurent Dorchin, David Shrigley and Robert Nava.
Spoils of War | 120 x 100cm | Acrylic on stretched canvas
“A lot of research goes into my artwork. I read articles, speak to people, listen to music, research books and watch documentaries. When I was younger I wanted to study anthropology, so I find people and cultures fascinating. To learn about another person’s perspective and see how it might change my own.”
What a time to be alive | 100 x 100cm | Mixed media – spray paint acrylic oil pastel and marker on stretched canvas
Shane’s work is mainly mixed media and plays with a mixture of vibrant colours, different layers and various textures. He often uses acrylic paint as a base and then layers with a mixture of acrylic and oil stick.
Silent war | 120 x 100cm | Acrylic & oil on stretched canvas
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