Remember the way you looked at things when you were a kid? Ordinary sights such as suburban streets and houses seemed extraordinary. Your local neighbourhood was a place of wonder. Every trip outside of the house was an adventure.
Brisbane artist J Valenzuela Didi doesn't just remember that feeling — he wants to recapture it. His current solo exhibition, Stillness in Transit, is his attempt to view the world with the awe and excitement of a child. Across a series of pieces, he paints familiar scenes as alien landscapes and lone figures as solitary explorers.
With evocative names such as Summertime Sadness, One More Saturday and Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day, Didi's latest work does exactly what he intends: examines everyday images in a new light. It's just the latest impressive feat for the emerging creative, who boasts a swag of art show awards and placings on his resume, including the best of show prize at the Brisbane Rotary Art Spectacular 2015.