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The Dynamic Gouache Paintings of Kushana Bush

Kushana Bush is known for her packed, figurative gouache paintings, with influences from traditional Mughal and Persian miniatures, the Italian Renaissance, Japanese ukiyo-e, and beyond converging. Recent work takes a singular—yet still dynamic—approach. The New Zealand artist infuses contemporary reflections and interactions into each corner of her works, each containing several narratives worth investigating.

Kushana Bush is known for her packed, figurative gouache paintings, with influences from traditional Mughal and Persian miniatures, the Italian Renaissance, Japanese ukiyo-e, and beyond converging. Recent work takes a singular—yet still dynamic—approach. The New Zealand artist infuses contemporary reflections and interactions into each corner of her works, each containing several narratives worth investigating.

“To look beyond the intensity of her detailed imagery, and at the scene at play, we can establish that an exchange is taking place between two parties,” says Art Gallery of New South Wales. “Hand gestures and facial expressions ricochet from one party to the other, and among their crowded bodies, lie an assortment of offerings – a pair of scissors, a golden ewer, a banana peel, a wristwatch. This scene of marketplace trading — or perhaps, dispute resolution — teems with mixed messages. Yet, its formal values create a distinct sense of coherence; it is at once confused and balanced.”

Find Bush on the web here.

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