Franc Hancock – Sydney World Pride ’23 Meet the artist Tuesday 14 Feb 6pm. Floor talk Sat 18th Feb 3-5pm

My large scale Ink Works on Paper are created outdoors on the ground and utilise wind and water in their creation. I use Sumi Ink which is an ancient Asian medium made from lamp soot. The paper is immersed in water and areas are lifted free to apply the ink. The images created partially mirror the ground beneath so the works become a documentation of place as well as time. The works are created from multiple layers of ink and there can be up to fifty layers of ink in areas. Despite the highly decorative surface I produce I am a minimalist choosing to remove my ‘hand’ from the creation. I do not directly touch the paper relying on wind to deposit the ink. Sumi Ink has inherent abilities and each work aims to display the dynamics of the ink rather than my hand.

Until my 50’s I worked in horticulture and landscaping. Health issues lead me to a career change and I went through the TAFE system to achieve my Fine Arts Diploma in 2009. Since then I have exhibited in the Regional Gallery circuit in NSW.