Rhythm in nature (Bilpin)
Luke Abdallah, Rhythm in nature (Bilpin), 2024, Acrylic and natural detritus on canvas, 49 x 49cm,
Created at the Bilpin international grounds for Creative initiatives in collaboration with music therapist Izumi Nago this piece combines performative action painting with Luke’s passion for drumming. Abdallah has incorporated the local flora into his painting practice, such as casuarina and banksia leaves, seed pods, and flower stems for this sensory exploration of the bushland at Bilpin. These natural tools were adapted as both paintbrush and drumstick in order to apply paint to the canvas-covered drum in a rhythmic tapestry of natural texture and colour. Abdallah’s frenetic, gestural strokes populate the painterly surface, drummed in time to Izumi’s piano score.
