About
Pitok (Jay) is a visual artist based in Sydney’s inner west. Having graduated from UNSW Art & Design (formerly COFA), they have worked professionally as a graphic designer and more recently began creating personal works using a variety of mediums including gouache, textiles, wood panels and print.
Through the imagery of rope bondage, and still life composition, their recent exhibition, “The Ties That Bind” explores the reflective process of peeling off layers of identity, looking at the baggage we carry and making a conscious decision on what to let go of as we move towards a closer alignment with our authentic self.
The works contrast danger and beauty, restriction and support, pain and pleasure and generally how deeply interwoven our formative experiences are, both positive and traumatic.
The four key paintings “The Hierophant”, “The Hanged Man”, “Temperance” and “Judgement”, have been a means for the artist to process personal experiences revolving around religion, growing up in the suburbs, gender identity and expression, addiction and coping mechanisms, Australian culture, family identity, nature and ties to location, etc.
Pitok draws inspiration from a variety of sources including, Australian modernist painters like Margaret Preston, Japanese woodblock prints, tattoo art, commercial packaging design and kink culture.
Resume
2022 Jan
O UT Exhibition as part of Midsumma Festival
Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
https://www.brunswickstreetgallery.com.au/
2021 Dec
Inner West Artist Market, Marrickville
https://artistmade.org/iwam/
2021 Jul
Works exhibited at Hypmotive Hub new Marrickville Metro, Smidmore St location.
https://hypmotive.com
2020 Jun – Aug
Monster Mouse Popup, The Rocks, Exhibition and workshops
https://www.therocks.com/whats-on/market-overview
2020 Sep
Co-hosted Monster Mouse Studios, Online Crafternoon as part of Inner West Council covid response program.
2019 July – Current
Master of Media Practice, UTS
https://www.uts.edu.au/future-students/find-a-course/master-media-practice-and-industry
2019 October
Sydney Craft Week
https://www.sydneycraftweek.com
2019 August
Sydney Inner West Council, Edge Art Trail
With Monster Mouse and Hypmotive Hub
https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/live/living-arts/edge
2019 June
Brunswick Street Gallery, Small Works Art Prize
https://www.brunswickstreetgallery.com.au/
2019 Apr
Hypmotive Hub, Meet the Makers Market
https://www.facebook.com/events/391311554756910/
2019 Mar
The Other Art Fair, Redfern, Sydney
https://www.saatchiart.com/pitok
2018 Nov
Monster Mouse, End of Year Show
https://www.facebook.com/events/2033250723426569/
2018 Oct
City Hub magazine feature
https://issuu.com/altmedia/docs/city_hub_25_october_1/10
2018 Oct
Exhibited work at Glebe Artshow
http://www.glebeartshow.org.au/
2018 Oct
Ran ‘Mindful Painting’ workshop as a part of Sydney Craft Week
https://www.sydneycraftweek.com/events/workshops-monster-mice-collective/
https://classbento.com.au/mindful-painting
2018 May – Dec
Works Exhibited at The Works Showroom, Glebe
http://worksshowroom.com
2018 Apr
Exhibiting artist at showcase events
https://www.rawartists.org/pitokxyz
2018 Jan – current
Joined studios, Monster Mouse Studios, Marrickville
http://monstermouse.org/artists/
2017 Oct – current
Works Exhibited at ‘Hypmotive Hub’, Marrickville
https://hypmotive.com/author/pitok/
2017 Sept
Exhibited artwork, Traces II exhibition
http://www.belconnenartscentre.com.au/exhibitions/traces-ii/
2017 Aug
Exhibited work at Glebe Artshow
http://www.glebeartshow.org.au/
2016 – current
Lead Creative & Art Director for Bapple
https://bapple.com.au/
2013 – 2016
Lived in Yokohama, Japan
2004
Visual Arts Education (UTS)
https://www.uts.edu.au/future-students/find-a-course/master-teaching-secondary-education
2000-2003
Studied Bachelor of Media Arts (UNSW Australia Art and Design)
https://artdesign.unsw.edu.au/future-students/undergraduate-degrees/media-arts
