Somnium

Acrylic, Canvas, Ready to hang

150cm (W) x 120cm (H) x 3.5cm (D)

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A$3,240

Arrives 16–18 Aug

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Artwork Description

A cosmic journey into the depths of the subconscious with "Somnium," a mesmerising portrayal of the boundless realms of the dreamworld. At its centre, a majestic jaguar reclines upon a teal-hued planet, suspended in the infinite expanse of dark space.

The jaguar, adorned with intricate tattoos of symbolic iconography, becomes a conduit for exploring profound spiritual and philosophical concepts. Each mark tells a story, weaving a tapestry of meaning that transcends the boundaries of time and space.

Inspired by the themes within Carl Sagan's seminal work, "Cosmos," "Somnium" is born from the artist's own nocturnal wanderings, a dream ignited by the cosmic revelations found within the pages of Sagan's book.

Viewers are transported to a realm where imagination and reality intertwine, inviting contemplation on the mysteries of the universe and the enigmatic nature of the human psyche. "Somnium" serves as a testament to the power of dreams to illuminate the deepest recesses of our souls, offering a glimpse into the wondrous possibilities that lie beyond the veil of consciousness.

Artist Bio

A visual practice rooted in symbolic storytelling and layered psychological landscapes, this work operates at the intersection of dream logic, urban mythology, and quiet existential inquiry. Each composition is built as a self-contained world β€” dense with meaning, yet deliberately open-ended β€” inviting the viewer to move beyond passive observation and into interpretation.

Rather than presenting imagery as decoration, the practice treats it as language: recurring archetypes, natural forms, and fragments of contemporary life are reassembled into unfamiliar constellations. Familiar elements are displaced just enough to feel remembered rather than recognised, creating a subtle tension between clarity and ambiguity.

The result is work that rewards attention over time. What first reads as surreal or atmospheric gradually reveals itself as structured symbolism β€” emotional, psychological, and reflective of the viewer’s own internal landscape. This is not imagery designed to be consumed quickly, but lived with, returned to, and slowly decoded.

For the collector, each piece becomes more than an object on a wall. It functions as a daily threshold into another state of perception β€” a quiet interruption in routine that shifts how space is experienced and how thought moves through it. The work is designed to hold presence: not to decorate a room, but to alter its tone.

Ultimately, the practice is an exploration of meaning itself β€” how it forms, dissolves, and re-emerges when placed under aesthetic pressure. What remains is a visual language that resists final interpretation, instead offering something rarer: a persistent sense of depth that continues to unfold long after first encounter.

Commissions

Buchanan's studio is in Meeanjin [Brisbane], Queensland, Australia