The subject of these paintings is dislocation. The images are derived from photographs taken by artists in foreign countries which capture instances of surprise or wonder. Translated into paintings, they reveal states of transition and the fleeting, liminal moments when identity and difference come into focus.

Penelope Aitken’s practice is thematically driven by personal relationships: friendships, romantic liaisons, genealogy and cross-cultural exchange. She divides her time between making art and managing the Visual Arts Residency Program at Asialink.

In 2000 she undertook a three-month Australia Council Studio Residency at the National Institute of the Arts in Taipei. Having managed a similar program for several years, the experience of being on a residency was significant and influential. Four years later it has become the basis of Life Elsewhere: Foreign bodies and social landscapes.