The show title is enough to draw you in as you imagine the American revolutionaries slapping on the war paint and hurling spears while letting out a tribal yell. Well the British were certainly not coming and were headed for the hills! Yankee Zulu, the title of the latest exhibition of South African artist, Shaun Ellison opened last January 9th and AF came to revel in the numerous works that were done over the years. Ellison is now based in Brooklyn and therefore is a Yankee but in his heritage being South African there is a Zulu warrior ready to battle. What a unique combination and so were the art that combined the gaunt or humor inflected forms in some layers of wax and plaster. The artist really took the time to infuse texture and a symbiotic treatment to enliven the paintings, watercolors and drawings on display. Yes, you can make a Yankee out of the boy but you cannot take the Zulu away or stop it from manifesting in his art. Now what a dandy thing to combine and be here in NYC to show your art. Boo-yah!
Interview with artist Shaun Ellison
Shaun Ellison: Yankee Zulu / On View: January 9 – February 15, 2014
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday (10 am to 6 pm)
Anna Zorina Gallery. 533 West 23rd Street. NYC, NY 10011
Text By: Oscar A. Laluyan
Photography and video by: Max Noy Photo
