Current exhibitions / events.
Luke Abdallah is currently on exhibition and sale online, through Nationwide Curating:
Past exhibitions / events.
Bundanon: Painting a Promised Land
A collaborative exhibition featuring Luke Abdallah & Matthew Elliott
Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf
548 New South Head Rd, Double Bay, NSW, 2028
March 6th - March 17th
Exhibition opening celebration - March 6th, 6pm - 8pm
Live collaborative painting performance - March 9th, 2pm - 4pm
Bundanon: Painting a Promised Land presents a new suite of abstract paintings and gestural drawings by artists Luke Abdallah and Matthew Elliott, produced throughout and in the aftermath of their 2022 Accessible Arts Bundanon Artist Residency. Accompanied by a feature documentary film, the exhibition is a multi-sensory showcase of Luke and Matt’s unique perspectives and approaches to artmaking, and their considered, emotive response to the site.
The exhibition is curated by Zachariah Fenn and supported by Studio ARTES – a not-for-profit organisation that delivers creative programs in visual arts, performing arts, and life skills for adults living with disability.
Bundanon: Painting a Promised Land is supported by the Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf Community Exhibitions Program.
Grace Cossington Smith Art Award, 2024
January 27th - February 24th, 2024
Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Abbotsleigh, Wahroonga, NSW, 2076
Opening celebration & award announcement - Friday 9th February, 7pm.
Luke Abdallah & Oliver Fontany have been selected as finalists in the 2024 Grace Cossington Smith Art Award for a collaborative painting, with this years entries to focus on the theme of Making Connections.
The award is sponsored by Abbotsleigh and commemorates their alumnae and pioneer of modernist painting in Australia, Grace Cossington Smith.
For further information about this award please see:
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, 2023
October 28th - December 8th, 2023
Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown, NSW, 2560
Opening celebration & award announcement - Friday 3rd November.
All finalist works selected for inclusion in the exhibition will be available for purchase.
Luke was selected as a finalist in the 61st Annual Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, for his print work Impression of Mount Annan.
This prestigious, annual art award encourages artists to submit works across a range of categories and mediums and the exhibition coincides with Campbelltown’s Festival of Fisher’s Ghost.
We would love to congratulate friend and fellow artist Oliver Fontany, for winning Highly Recommended in the Macability Award!
For further information about this award please see Campbelltown Arts Centre:
IMAGE: Eddy Summers Photography. Provided courtesy of NWC
Solo Art Exhibition, Luke Abdallah
Hosted by Nationwide Curating
Gallery NWC, 62 Atchison Street, St Leonards, NSW, 2065
October 12th - October 20th, 2023
Live performance - 20th October
This exhibition will feature a broad selection of works by the artist, predominantly featuring his signature cane painting technique.
Luke will also be conducting a live painting performance, in collaboration with musician and music therapist Izumi Nago. This will take place on the 20th of October, as part of TWT Creative Block Party! This is a completely free event with a program featuring exhibitions, performances, music & workshops. Luke's performance will be taking place in Gallery NWC, 62 Atchison Street, St Leonards, first set 7pm, second set 8pm.
Gallery NWC regular opening hours:
Thursdays-Fridays 10am - 4pm
Saturdays-Sundays 12pm-4pm
For further information about this event will also be available soon through Nationwide Curating:
There will be a publicly accessible outcome of this residency on Sunday the 8th of October between 11am and 4pm at BigCi (82 Hanlons Road North, Bilpin, NSW, 2758). Luke will be performing for the duration of the day, in collaboration with Izumi Nago and Nick Lunzer, and an exhibition of his works will be visible in the ColLab Barn!
At 2:45, Luke will also be giving an artist talk.
There will also be publicly accessible workshops run by Luke Abdallah, Oliver Fontany, Bonnie Exley and Matthew Elliott as part of this residency opportunity, taking place in 2024, with dates yet to be confirmed.
To learn more about Bilpin Internation Ground for Creative Initiatives, please visit:
Artist Residency, hosted by Bilpin International Ground for Creative Initiatives
2 weeks in September, 2023
Open Field Festival
June 22nd - June 25th, 2023
Contemporary Art Festival, Berry, NSW
Luke’s work will be showing in Berry School of Arts
‘OpenField is a new multidisciplinary arts festival to be held every two years in the town of Berry NSW. The inaugural festival was June 22-25 2023, a largely free event that showcased contemporary art in and around the town in unique non-museum venues, including halls, community spaces and natural reserves. The festival program also included performances, talks, live music and a cinema night.’ (OpenField 2023 website)
Luke will show 2 works at this festival, one created in collaboration with artist Oliver Fontany, and the other created in collaboration with artist Matthew Elliott.
For more information about the event, please visit:
Affordable Art Fair, Sydney
15th June - 18th June, 2023
Winx Stand, Royal Randwick Racecourse
Alison Road, Randwick, NSW, 2031
Luke Abdallah is a featured artist of Nationwide Curating’s stand at the Affordable Art Fair, Sydney, 2023.
As well as exhibiting at Randwick Racecourse, Nationwide Curating will also be exhibiting works concurrently at Gallery NWC, and online, and available works will remain on show past the dates of the fair.
To see available works in person, please visit Gallery NWC in St Leonards, and to view works online, please see:
Imagining Bundanon
A collaborative exhibition featuring Luke Abdallah & Matthew Elliott
107 Green Square
3a Joynton Ave, Zetland, NSW, 2017
March 15th - April 8th
The exhibition opening will be held on Wednesday 22nd of March 2023, from 5pm - 7pm.
This exhibition has been made possible by 107 and the Accessible Arts & Bundanon Trust Artist-In-Residence Program.
For further information about this exhibition, please visit 107:
Solo Art Exhibition, Luke Abdallah
Hosted by Nationwide Curating, in collaboration with WOTSO
WOTSO Pyrmont, Bulwara Road Entrance, 55 Pyrmont Bridge Road, NSW, 2009
January 27th - April 21st, 2023
A meet the artist event will be held on Thursday 16th March, 2023 from 5pm - 7pm.
For further information about this event, please visit Nationwide Curating:
Gallery NWC Launch Party
Hosted by Nationwide Curating
Gallery NWC, 62 Atchison Street, St Leonards, NSW, 2065
Launch Party - 24th February, 2023, 7pm-9pm
Gallery NWC regular opening hours:
Thursdays-Fridays 10am - 4pm
Saturdays-Sundays 12pm-4pm
For further information about this event & gallery space, please visit Nationwide Curating:
Nationwide Curating - Group Art Exhibition
Hosted by Nationwide Curating, in collaboration with Gallery One88 Fine Arts, 186-188 Katoomba Street, Katoomba, NSW, 2780
February 16th - February 26th, 2023
Image Credit: ‘Flame’ by Reeva Ashton
This exhibition opening was held on Saturday 18th February, 2023, from 3pm - 5pm.
For further information about this event, please visit Nationwide Curating:
PUSH & PULL, STROKE & STAB
Goodspace, Sydney
December 2021
“Push & pull”, “stroke” and “stab” are verbal instructions prompting blind painter Luke Abdallah to make his mark on the canvas.
Showcasing a new suite of gestural abstract paintings, this exhibition invites you to appreciate the medium and process of painting from Luke’s unique perspective. Created during and after the 2020 Covid lockdowns, these heavily textured compositions capture Luke’s creative and emotional energy as Luke responded to personal and global events.
Using a range of brushes, palette knives, and even his cane to apply thick swathes of impasto and acrylic onto the paintings surfaces, these expressive marks - sometimes violent, sometimes remedial in their application - embody Luke’s movements.
A Guide Through Abstraction
Studio ARTES Northside, Sydney
March - April 2019
This exhibition acts as a survey of Luke’s creative output over a decade. ‘A Guide Through Abstraction’ showcases an impressive collection of Luke’s colourful, expressive abstract paintings created from 2009 to present – a testament to his personal and professional development as an artist who is blind.