EXHIBITION LAUNCH: Gregory Hodge Suspension Painting

Gregory Hodge returns to Canberra with the presentation of his large-scale painted sculptural installation, Suspension Painting, as part of the 2026 Canberra Art Biennale. Originally commissioned in 2019, this ambitious multidimensional work will transform CMAG's Gallery on Civic Square, immersing visitors in an environment that blurs the boundaries between painting, sculpture and architectural space. A graduate of the Canberra School of Art at the Australian National University, Hodge completed his PhD in 2016. His practice has long been informed by an interest in the visual exuberance and theatricality of the Baroque, an interest further developed through residencies at the British School at Rome (2015) and Basso Berlin (2011). Following residencies at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (2019-20 and 2024), Hodge has continued to live and work in Paris. In this illustrated artist talk, Hodge will discuss the development of his practice and the ideas underpinning Suspension Painting. He will reflect on his engagement with illusionistic space, trompe-l'œil, painterly gesture and texture, and how these elements come together to create works of immediate visual drama while rewarding sustained attention with layers of intricate and quietly absorbing detail. Image: Gregory Hodge Suspension Painting 2019 Courtesy of Sullivan and Strumpf