The joyful colours of travel

A VIBRANT exhibition by Casey Tosh is evoking the memories, smells and tastes of travel.

Post Pop Perfume is on display across two floors at Mr Jones Dining, a fine dining Thai restaurant on Main Road.

The works, which are largely acrylic and oil on board, explore the themes of travel and unique personalities, including American chef and author Anthony Bourdain.

“It’s really vibrant. The colours of Vietnam are really awesome and that’s something as a painter that really caught my eye,” said Tosh.

“It’s just about remembering the travels that you’ve had and relating them to new experiences.

“[Bourdain] was a really strong character and opens people’s minds to getting familiar with the locals when you’re travelling and not just being a tourist.”

The main piece, Little Saigon Market, looks at Tosh’s experiences of Footscray and Vietnamese food.

“Little Saigon Market is my first experience of trying Vietnamese food before there was Vietnamese restaurants in Ballarat,” he said.

“This was the second market, which was more the locals’ market, and it was away from the station so a little bit more specific and really colourful.”

Tosh has been living in South Korea for the last five years and has had more than six exhibitions in Seoul.

He brought several of the works for this exhibition from South Korea to Ballarat in his suitcase.

“I had some art works that I thought would be really suitable for a great show and the venue Mr Jones came to mind after visiting once on a trip here, but I also used to work in hospitality on Main Road,” he said.

“I developed a relationship with Damien, the owner of Mr Jones, and it came together.”

Post Pop Perfume will be on display until late October. To view Mr Jones Dining’s opening hours, visit the website.