Christopher Zanko Bulli: bricks and black diamonds

As a teenager, the abandoned brickworks behind this house was our playground, a refuge from high school and a place to skateboard. I have lived in the suburbs north of Wollongong my whole life, an area once defined by its heavy industry and the postwar brick and fibro houses, squeezed between the coast and the towering escarpment.

In my practice, I use woodblock printing techniques combined with painting to depict the vernacular architecture. This house, like many others, is vulnerable to the changing circumstances in recent years. By carving the image I create a level of density that ensures permanence, whether the existing structure remains or is destroyed.

Christopher Zanko, 2019