Kaurna artist Damien Shen, who is co-presenting CIPX Kaurna Miyurna at Art Gallery of South Australia, shares his best life moments.
What does your idea of the perfect day look like?
My idea of a perfect day is probably something close to what I experienced when I was in the US for an artist residency. My family was there with me, and we were staying in Jersey City. We’d wake up, jump on the train into Manhattan and get off around the Oculus. Then we’d find a café, sit down with coffee and a pastry, and work out what we felt like doing that day. There was no pressure to cram everything in. Every day just needed some element of creativity like seeing an exhibition, finding a gallery we hadn’t been to before, wandering through a different part of the city, or tracking down somewhere good to eat. I loved that mix of having no real plan but still feeling like the day had purpose. A bit of art, good food, family, wandering around and the chance of stumbling across something unexpected.
What is a wonderful moment of kindness you have experienced?
When I was starting out as an artist, I attended a drawing workshop coordinated by Robin Eley, a world famous Adelaide based painter. On the third day my grandmother passed away, so I had to leave early. Before I went, I told Robin about an idea I had for my first exhibition, documenting my family history through portraiture and stories about life on the mission. I asked him if he thought it would work, and he simply said, “I think it’s going to be really strong. Do it.” At that early point in my arts career, having someone I really respected believe in the idea gave me the confidence to keep going. That body of work ended up touring for a couple of years and opened a lot of doors for me. It was a small moment of encouragement, but it had a huge impact.
What is your favourite photograph?
One of my favourite photos is this one of my sister and I with our Chinese grandfather, an incredible man who was a father figure for me growing up. He was this smiling old man, who worked incredibly hard throughout his life to support family, but what I remember most was the way he treated people, and the stories that some of his friends told of him after he had passed. He was wise, gentle, generous and had this natural warmth that made people feel comfortable around him. When I look at this photo, it brings back a really strong sense of family and of the kind of person he was.
If you could own any piece of art, what would it be?
The painting Rosie’s Tea Party by Mark Ryden. I’ve loved his work since I was at art school in the 90s. I love the way he uses really traditional, beautifully controlled oil painting techniques to create something strange, surreal and slightly unsettling. There are also layers of messaging everywhere in the work, things that look innocent at first, but become darker or stranger the longer you look. I like that he doesn’t explain everything either. You’re left to work through the symbols and make your own sense of what is going on.
Here’s $500. You have to spend it in the next hour – what are you buying?
I would go buy a Behringer Model D analog desktop synthesizer and whatever cables I needed to get it running. I’ve been getting more interested in making a soundscape as part of my next exhibition work, and I like the idea of having something physical and hands-on rather than doing everything through a computer. The Model D would let me play with bass, drones and strange analogue sounds, and I’d probably lose the rest of the hour just turning knobs and seeing what happened.
A bar in SA you’d recommend?
I’d have to say Bank Street Social. I love the vibe of that place, so much so, that I rented the venue for a day to film my first moving image work, My Cuzzy Nate and the 654 Club.
What was the last TV show you watched?
True Detective season two. I loved the first season and had tried to watch the second one before, but I found it a bit slow and gave up on it. I’ve just gone back to it and I’m actually really enjoying it this time. It’s dark, strange and a bit messy. I had to stop comparing it to the first season and let it be its own thing. Much better now J
Favourite way to unwind?
My favourite way to unwind is fishing and boating. I’ve got a little tinny and sometimes I’m just as happy cruising around as I am actually catching anything. There’s something about being on the water that gives me a sense of adventure, even if I’m only out for half a day. By the time I get back, it can feel like I’ve been away somewhere rather than just a few hours down the coast. The algal bloom had a big impact on my ability to get out over the last 12 months, but I’ve got a feeling there might be a good blue crab season coming up, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there more.
Last book you read?
The last couple of things I’ve been reading have mostly been for work – Donna McGeorge’s The 25-Minute Meeting and some of her Red Brick Thinking, ideas around productivity and making better use of your time. Super important for someone like me! More recently, I walked past a local gallery, Future Juice XYZ on Flinders Street, went in for a look and came out with a pile of art books and magazines: Goodbye Poverty Jetset, Mousse #94, A Manual for Living – Curated for Nike, and CURA. 45: Blackout. I think that probably says something about where my head is at outside of work.
Last song you listened to?
The last song I listened to was Rising by Waagal. He’s a multi-instrumentalist who layers didgeridoo, percussion, handpan, synths and loops to build these really atmospheric and groovy pieces of music. I’ve been drawn to the way he builds sound slowly and lets different textures sit on top of each other.
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That’s been inspiring some of the thinking for my next exhibition. I want the soundscape to work with the physical artworks in the room, rather than feeling like a separate piece of music. The sound will help shape the mood of the space and hopefully change the way people move through and experience the work. I’m interested in creating something immersive, where the objects, images and sound all sit together and add another layer to what the exhibition is saying.
Kaurna artists Damien Shen and James Tylor collaboratively present CIPX Kaurna Miyurna, a powerful tintype photographic project celebrating important members of the Kaurna community in Tarntanya (Adelaide). It’s showing at the Art Gallery of South Australia until November 1, entry is free.
Main photo caption: Damien Shen with CIPX Kaurna Miyurna, Major (Moogy) Sumner (Kaurna / Ngarrindjeri people, South Australia), 2026, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Photograph: Saul Steed
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