Kade Valja: Soul Ties
This exhibition explores and documents Kade's spiritual lessons and life experiences from a human standpoint.
'I have approached creating the work for this exhibition in a very different way to any of my previous shows, by exploring and delving into the life experiences that touch humans on a deeper level than physicality and flesh, namely the soul.
This exhibition displays an upward exploration through my own psyche that reveals the truest experiences from my life as 'Kade' so far. I believe these experiences have taught me lessons that will stay with me once I depart my physical human vessel.
Call it what you will but 'Soul Ties' is my attempt at documenting the spiritual lessons and experiences I have had so far. The pieces in the show are very much a synthesis of classic European painting aesthetics melded with my initial discipline as a street artist'.
View the exhibition works
Please email regarding exhibition sales enquiries.
Kade Valja in conversation with Gallery Director, Niomi Sands
How did you become interested in art?
I became interested in painting in early teenage-hood as a graffiti writer using only aerosol and house paint.
The transition to fine art came from experimentation with airbrushing to create smaller pieces with similar aesthetic to spray painting as well as school art excursions to contemporary galleries in metropolitan areas and in one particular case an experience at the Brett Whiteley Studio that convinced me to open up my visual vocabulary as a painter.
What’s different about what you create now from when you started?
My studio work when I started was very different from what I'm creating now in the studio though I can still see the links between the two and do reference and am inspired by older work sometimes. In the beginnings of my studio work I would say the paintings were more towards classic surrealism where as now the work is more dynamic and fluent as a whole in form, aesthetic and subject though surrealism is still very much present in current work.
What are you proudest of in your work?
The thing that I'm most fond of in my work is the strength of the individual style and the way I have so far been able to translate it through many different mediums.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I'm working on smaller 2D works in the studio and a lot of smaller sculpture using DIY lost wax metal casting methods and virtual reality. I have also been working on a set of embroidered patches and stickers I will be releasing very soon on my online store as well as some virtual reality video content I hope to be releasing online for free in the near future.
Any advice to young artists?
To not feel guilty to accept help from others in whatever form that comes in no matter how stubborn you are, because you can't do it all on your own.
What advantage does living in a regional area give an artist?
The advantages to living in a regional area for me comes with the lower cost of living as well as well as the geographical luxury of being wedged between rain forest and beach with at least a 3-hour drive to the next metropolitan area. This serves my creativity well as nature is a constant source of inspiration.
Image credit: Kade Valja Beginning to see the light (detail), Acrylic on cotton canvas, 208 x 163cm. Courtesy of th artist.
Related Pages
Past Exhibitions
Showcasing past exhibitions of local and national artists, the permanent collection and touring exhibitions.
The 2022 JADA
Works by the 56 Finalist's of the 2022 JADA.
Riverstones and Ramifications: Bronwyn Bancroft
This exhibition celebrates the deep connection between the artist and her Uncle Pat Bancroft.
InlandSee
A survey exhibition presenting a cross section of contemporary art from diverse artistic voices in New South Wales.
Our Place - Celebrating the Clarence
An opportunity for Clarence Valley creatives to get involved with the Gallery.
River to the Sea
Celebrating the magnificent Clarence River and surrounding landscape through the eyes of renowned national and local artists.
UNWRAPPING: Desire, Allure and the Culture of Single Use Plastic
This exhibition engages with the Clarence community to break down our complex relationship with plastics, tackling our urgent environmental issues
Our Place: Celebrating the Clarence
Celebrating the Clarence Valley and the creativity of our local community.
SELECT: Recent Acquisitions to the Collection
Celebrate the opening of the new Gallery with a selection of recent acquired works.
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRIZE 2020
This exhibition celebrates the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects
DRAWN: Another View
Showcasing recent works on paper by Clarence Valley artists.
COLLECTION: Local First Nations Curator Dani Gorogo
A selection of works from the collection.
For the Love of Drawing: Pam Fysh
Presenting a selection of works exploring the diversity of Pam's practice.
The French Door Gallery
Featuring a vibrant program of exhibitions showcasing recent work by Clarence Valley artists in Prentice House.
Summer Sensations
Celebrating artists of the Clarence Valley
Adaptation: Goldberg Aberline Studio
A large scale nation-wide collaboration project created during Covid-19, 2018 - 2021.
RESIST-STANCE: Blak Douglas & Jason Wing
A micro survey show of hand-picked works seen for the first time on Bundjalung Country.
Birdsong: Robert Moore
This exhibition affirms the artists fascination with birds, living and working in the bush they are a constant in the landscape.
Lingua Franca: Text Works from the Gallery Collection
This exhibition celebrates language by bringing together works from the collection that feature text.
Self: A Northern Rivers Creative Group show
Featuring the work of Xanthe Dobbie, Stephen Garrett, Laith McGregor, Antoinette O'Brien, Fabian Pertzel and Joe Swepson.
The Green Room: Works from the collection
Hidden Treasures from the collection curated by local Clarence Valley Nations artist Frances Belle Parker.
Gesture: Works from the collection
Works that communicate ideas about the broader human experience through body language and gestures.
Awakenings: the making of 'Things Impossible'.
An exhibition that explores ablism, mental health and gender expression through technology including virtual reality.
Sue Bell: Young at Heart
An exploration of childhood memories referencing family mementos from the past and present.
Teo Treloar: And Now, The Plague
These graphite pencil drawings investigate the themes of isolation, existential threat, and the absurd realities of life in a pandemic.
Jacaranda Festival Artist Dani Gorogo
A survey exhibition of local artist Dani Gorogo's works
Re-Collect: Lyndall Phelps
This exhibition explores the recurring themes of collecting, nature and history which dominate Phelps’ art practice.
Archibald Prize 2022
An Art Gallery of NSW touring exhibition
Young Archie 2022
Australia's cutest art prize