Phillip Allen: Deep Waiting

31 Jan-7 Mar 2026

Overview

In his latest body of work, Phillip Allen’s fifth solo presentation with the gallery marks a vibrant evolution in the artist’s long-standing exploration of abstraction, materiality and the painted edge.

Described by art critic John Yau as “one of the great painters of his generation”, Phillip Allen  has refused to settle into any one mode or style, choosing instead to continually push the possibilities of the picture plane resulting in paintings that are sculptural, optical and joyously excessive. Dense accretions of acrylic and oil paint form thick, encrusted borders that frame finely worked interior fields. Within these interiors, rhythmic geometries, spiralling motifs and kaleidoscopic colour sequences unfold with a sense of buoyant improvisation. 

‘Deep Waiting’ reflects Allen’s ongoing interest in the mechanics of looking. Repetition, mirroring and near-symmetry lure the viewer into optical loops, while shifting palettes—moving from acidic neons to cool mineral tones—create a sense of movement that is almost musical. Throughout, Allen balances exuberance with control, humour with discipline, ornament with structure.

Phillip Allen’s new paintings reaffirm his status as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary abstraction, continually reimagining what painting can be: an object, an image, or a cosmic experience.