Lighting up Sub Tropic Studio with Darren Blackman

Following four months as artist-in-residence at Sub Tropic, Darren Blackman and The Refinery invited the creative community into the studio to view new works in progress as he prepares for two major upcoming solo exhibitions this year. 

With the works on display ranging from digitally printed textiles, studies of new text-based works, bold neon sculptures and a slide show of new works to be exhibited later this year, Darren toured small groups of interested artists and industry leaders around the studio, giving context to each piece.

Settling into seats, Kabi Kabi Elder and Creative, Aunty Helena Gulash provided a short Welcome to Country before the artist talk. Darren, a proud Gureng Gureng/Gangulu man with South Sea Islander heritage from Vanuatu sat down with SCCA Executive Director, Toni Wills, starting off by opening up about his approach to creative practice as he shared with the audience that his intention is to practice culture, not make ‘art’.

Many in the room were already familiar with the clever word play and strong messages in Darren’s text-based works, both playful and political. His latest works in neon continue to highlight the power of language to influence and manipulate. 

Speaking about his work Truth Hurts (2024) — he described the development and experimentation process of creating the work in multiple mediums, from a two-sided cardboard sculpture to neon sculpture that will be on display at CIAF next month. “This work is two-sided for a reason,” Darren said, as he stood up to demonstrate to the audience the quirks of the font and reverse lettering in the work which allow for two different ways of viewing. 

“We have a shared history and yet we’ve been taught to look at that history in our own particular way and ignore the other perspective. Not seeing the facts from both sides hurts everyone.”

Using neon and mirror, Fear Less (2025) is another piece about truth that Darren spoke to during the artist showing. A work created in response to the axing of the Truth Telling Inquiry, Darren lamented the absence of the opportunity for elders in the community seeking healing through telling their story. With his signature word play, the work ponders what it is that the government feared by axing the Inquiry, asks of us to be fearless with our opinions and to be brave by telling the real truth.

Darren gave us a glimpse into Bittersweet, his upcoming collaboration with Lyndon Davis to be held at Munimba-ja Gallery that will delve into the legacy of South Sea Islander indentured labour on the Sunshine Coast. A collection of photos and documents on display in the studio showed his research into family history, rediscovery and installation, tracing a story that is both collective and deeply personal.

Darren surprised the audience when asked about his love of high fashion brands. Recalling a visit to Brisbane after years of living in Far North Queensland, he shared with the audience the impact of the highly curated shopfronts and the strong brand identity associated with Gucci, Prada and the like. “I’m not into what fashion brands represent,” Darren said, “but I’m drawn to how they present themselves”. He went on to explain that he is interested in subverting that idea, becoming his own brand of exclusive streetwear laden with bold and political messages and a price tag to match.

Audience questions followed, Darren’s status as a ‘font nerd’ was confirmed and the audience were thrilled to learn of the merchandising options that will be available at his Onespace show later this year. 

In closing, Darren expressed his thanks for the residency opportunity and elaborated on the value and impact of having a dedicated space to use as home base as he prepared for so many different exhibitions at once and travelled between Nambour, Brisbane and Cairns for exhibition meetings, installations and other commitments.

“The Sub Tropic residency became a place to work, mentor other artists, research and stick things to walls knowing they would still be there when I returned,” Darren enthused.

Darren’s latest works are an invitation, a dialogue, an education and a protest. The Refinery is honoured to host Darren in the studio and look forward to travelling to Brisbane to support his solo exhibition at Onespace this July. 

Photos by Isabella Bilokin.

R|Artist Residency: Sub Tropic is a 20-week program designed for early-career creative practitioners, offering studio space, operational support, a $1,200 materials budget, and profile-building opportunities. Delivered by SCCA as part of The Refinery, and supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, Sunshine Coast Council through the Regional Arts Development Fund, and the Creative Ecologies Research Cluster at UniSC.

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