Waiting for Lavender is the solo exhibition set to open COMA’s new gallery space in the heart of Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west. Australian-born contemporary artist Justin Williams draws inspiration from his Egyptian heritage and his upbringing in a small town at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria.
Williams’ striking figurative, large-scale canvas works interweave elements of myth and folklore as he explores communities on the fringes of society. More specifically, the paintings engage with the city of Alexandria prior to the Second World War via themes of migration and belonging, reflecting on the universal longing to settle and find a place to call home.
“The paintings in Waiting for Lavender are in many ways depictions of the act and the experience of transition, as well as the movement between states that leads to moments of significant change,” says Williams, who is based in New Mexico and recently held solo exhibitions at Roberts Projects in Los Angeles and Forma in Paris, in addition to a solo booth with COMA at Taiwanese art fair, Taipei Dangdai.
“Migration and the points in one’s journey that have a profound effect are of great interest to me,” continues Williams. “Acting as a continuous response to my own history and stories that my grandparents have passed down to me, I try to be as true to my work as I can, although the melding of narratives is inevitable and a way of creating my own stories.”
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“For me this feels like more of a body of work that not only brings together both my own past and shared familial memories, but also my own sense of a loss of belonging as I moved from city to city, town to town. The recent birth of my daughter, Lavender, has changed the way I rationalise my place in a foreign land, and immediately injected something intensely familiar into life away from my homeland. This sensation is something I want to capture, the feeling of security in a place of unfamiliarity.”
Meanwhile, the space itself is inspired by the major warehouse-style galleries of Los Angeles. COMA’s new gallery comprises 490 square metres in what was previously a coffee factory warehouse. With the launch, the premises becomes an expansive exhibition space with private viewing rooms, on-site storage and merchandise space.
Founder and Director of COMA, Sotiris Sotiriou, comments: “COMA is dedicated to reshaping how international museums, galleries and collectors view Australian artists, and ensuring Australian art receives the global recognition it deserves. We strive to showcase and introduce renowned international artists to the Australian market but also to connect them with local collectors.”
“This new gallery space allows us to deepen our commitment to showcasing significant contemporary art and to enrich the cultural landscape for audiences in Sydney. We’re thrilled to inaugurate the space with a solo exhibition by Justin Williams – a fitting moment for an Australian artist who has captivated audiences overseas.”
Waiting for Lavender runs from 31st January to 22nd February 2025.
