Ashburton Public Gallery
9 August – 26 September 2025

Dates

9 August – 26 September 2025

Location

327 West street
Ashburton

Before Black and White, There Was Colour

An Exhibition by Bobby Kurb
Presented at Ashburton Art Gallery

Ashburton Art Gallery is proud to present Before Black and White, There Was Colour, a bold and thought-provoking exhibition by contemporary artist Bobby Kurb. Known for his layered, multi-disciplinary practice, Bobby Kurb explores the complexity and contradiction of today’s social and media landscape through a visually arresting mix of colour, satire, and critical reflection.

This latest body of work invites viewers into a world that oscillates between the playful and the provocative. Through eccentric characters, splashed pigments, mirrored surfaces, and text-based interventions, Kurb transforms his canvases into charged commentaries on the fractured realities of modern existence. The influence of pop art’s visual energy and street art’s rebellious spirit runs through the show. Each piece challenges the viewer to look beneath the surface: beyond appearances, beyond simplification, and into the uncomfortable truths of our time.

As described by James Hope, Curator – Art at Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum:

“The complexity and contradiction of today’s society interests the Ashburton-based artist known as Bobby Kurb. Kurb combs through its metaphorical alleyways, deploying colour and material to poke beneath the veneer of modern life that obscures the darker realities of our current moment… It is often said that art holds up a mirror to society. By analogy, this exhibition takes a walk in a funhouse hall of mirrors: reflecting images distorted through the filter of contemporary media.”
Hope’s curatorial reflection captures the essence of Kurb’s work. It is both a mirror and a distortion – a simultaneously playful and serious attempt to confront global issues, offering not only critique but also hope through unfettered creativity.

Opening Soon at Ashburton Art Gallery

Join us for an exhibition that asks us not just to see, but to question what we see.