Shida – Rites of Joy
Running simultaneously with this year’s Valley Fiesta as a part of the arts program, Brisbane street art heavyweight Shida will launch his latest exhibition Rites of Joy.
In Rites of Joy Shida explores the relationship between ritual, sexuality and love. Psychedelic entities are entwined in a ceremonial act transcending the bounds of known reality. We live in a world where society’s issues are becoming increasingly gendered and people are seemingly more divided than ever due to the rise of identity politics. Shida seeks to turn this tide like an ancient shaman with each work being in essence an invocation, an energetic manifestation, a prayer to joy.
Shida is a 26 year old street artist, son to polish refugees. He specialises in extreme large scale murals and has created them across Australia and the entire globe. At 26 he has already created his work across more than 35 cities, in over 20 countries. The great majority of his work is created pro bono for the neighbourhoods and communities that he visits on his travels and across Australia. His work reflects his multicultural upbringing. It is naturally Australian while at the same time being influenced by a plethora of different cultures arts aswell as his own polish cultural heritage.
Image credit: Shida / Eternal (2016)