In Australia, there are almost 123,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. Homelessness in this country is such an extreme form of inequality that it is often easier to ignore it, than to show empathy or find any real, tangible solutions. The Forgotten Fables of the South-East, by local artist Tyson Jay Brant is an intimate examination and contemplation of the lives of our neighbours: people surviving in our local community while unhoused or with only temporary shelter. Tyson shines a light on the forgotten corners of our community, and the incredible people who live on the fringes.

Forgotten Fables of the South-East is a collision between pop art, graffiti art and social commentary. Tyson has created a series of psychedelic pop art canvases which are, in part, a celebration of diversity beyond the physical. The exhibition is also a vehicle that forces us to have a conversation. Relying heavily on storytelling, the exhibitions raises awareness of the neuro-divergent and those who defy convention to forge their own path.

Featuring numerous figures from the community of Mount Gambier and the broader Limestone Coast who are experiencing homelessness, as well as a journey into the psyche of the artist themselves – this exhibition will make the unseen, seen. Tyson paints characters from the South-East in such a way which forces the viewer to really see the subject – to look at the person they might ordinarily walk past on the street. The subject of the painting is presented with both power and presence. It is impossible to turn away.

*Every individual featured in Tyson’s exhibition has consented to being featured

Tyson Jay Brant is a finalist in the 2023 Don Dunstan Foundation Award for artwork in this exhibition.