Sunfigo emailed me.
For years I have wondered about Sunfigo’s art. The first work that I saw in 2012 was the Banksy Little Diver tribute was such a masterpiece, a tribute not just to Banksy but to that era of Melbourne’s street art. Since then I have been looking for more. I have been rewarded by a rich variety of experiments in media, image and message.
Sunfigo wanted to have an exhibition.
I tried to help but unfortunately I am amongst the least powerful people in Melbourne’s art world. I am just this blogger, part-time artist writer. I don’t have much money because I write about art, mostly for free in this blog. I don’t have an art gallery, nor as it turns out do I have much influence with anyone with a gallery, after these eight years of blogging. I kept on asking people but I wasn’t making any progress.
I wasn’t making any progress on gleaming any details about Sunfigo from my exchange of emails. I mean nothing; you will notice that I am avoiding pronouns in this post. In the emails Sunfigo was always “Sunfigo”.
I was also starting to wonder if Sunfigo’s art would work in an art gallery. Would it be the equivalent of the Urban Cake Lady’s gallery exhibition and fail to rise? Is Sunfigo’s art at its best in larger spaces with chainlink fences? Or finding a small paste-up neatly placed in an obscure location?
It turns out that Sunfigo really wanted an exhibition, enough to have a guerrilla exhibition in Melbourne’s gardens. On Saturday the 20th of February, the day of Melbourne’s White Night festival, Sunfigo put up a marquee with an exhibition of his work inside. I didn’t see it, it lasted about ten minutes before Sunfigo was ordered to take it down. You have to love the audacity of street artists.
I emailed Dean Sunshine, who like me, loves Sunfigo’s art. Dean doesn’t have an art gallery but he does have laneways and can throw a great party. I will report on any further developments.
Black Mark 
February 26th, 2016 at 4:18 PM
You are right – I too have been a fan of Sunfigo for years – in fact his work was in my first book. You forgot to highlight the countless number of lions. gorillas and other creatures heads made out of a tape intricately tied on to wire fences everywhere!
February 26th, 2016 at 6:33 PM
Yes, I should have mentioned that was the reason that I thought that Sunfigo needs a chainlink fence for an exhibition.
February 26th, 2016 at 5:44 PM
Yep writing about art can be a thankless task.
February 26th, 2016 at 6:28 PM
Yes, thankless, no power and little influence.
February 27th, 2016 at 1:59 PM
Hey Mark – if you could write 1-1.5k exclusive and enlightening words on Sunfigo’s work I would be happy to consider it for an upcoming issue of Trouble. We pay $50 on publication.
Steve Proposch | editor troublemag.com | 0428 349 382
Trouble? There’s an app for that : https://itunes.apple.com/app/id668359617?mt=8
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February 29th, 2016 at 11:48 AM
Just putting my hand up as a Sunfigo fan too! A lot of work in town but a lot out in the suburbs too. Really raises the spirits to come across a chain link creation or one of the classic tape images.
February 29th, 2016 at 12:28 PM
Yes, Sunfigo is a street artist who reaches parts that others can’t or don’t.
January 24th, 2018 at 6:52 PM
[…] find a stencil; perhaps, given the geometric lines in the body of scorpion, it is by Sunfigo. A cartoon face by Twobe and one by the internationally renown artist Lister, who blurs the rough […]
February 22nd, 2018 at 11:12 PM
[…] is Sunfigo’s second attempt to unofficially join in Melbourne’s White Night. In 2016 Sunfigo tried to put on a guerrilla exhibition as part of White Night but it didn’t last ten minutes. This time he has been more successful with […]