Control Release

In celebration of Sydney WorldPride 2023, Owen presented a new series of work in Keepsake, an online group exhibition at Artereal Gallery that paid homage to the ideas of mementos, souvenirs and reminders.

Sydney WorldPride connected a global audience to Australia’s immense creativity and talent. During this period, more than 500,000 people participated in the festival, with the majority visiting from interstate and internationally.

Keepsakes are often seen as insignificant trinkets, yet they play an important role in memory-making, how we see ourselves, and our relationships with people and places. They are complex psychological, sociological, and anthropological artefacts ranging from the poignant to the marvellously kitsch and eccentric. These treasures travel globally, becoming familiar mementos of precious memories and tokens of love and affection.

Artists included: Lionel Bawden, Liam Benson, Dennis Golding, George Goodnow, Owen Leong and Athena Thebus. Curated by Tané Andrews.