DETAILS
Free, no booking required
Off the Kerb Gallery
66B Johnston Street, Collingwood VIC, Australia
DATES
Thu 14 May 12 – 6pm
Fri 15 May 12 – 6pm
Sat 16 May 12 – 5pm
Sun 17 May 12 – 5pm
Thu 21 May 12 – 6pm
Go for a run. Eat more veggies. Smoothies don’t count. Say something meaningful. Care about something. Know a bit about everything. Go to bed early. Age gracefully. Don’t drink too much. Drink more water. Live slowly. Talk quickly. Keep up. Keep up. Keep up.
Keep Up is an exhibition about the absurdity of it all. The endless lists, the gentle demands, the shoulds that pile up like laundry you keep meaning to fold. We’re hanging onto expectations by a thread, trying to keep ourselves stitched together while the fabric of our own humanity frays. Healing itself has become another task to tick off.
This exhibition playfully features works in which figures move through their checklists. Bright, bold and colourfully designed pieces capture the contradiction of drowning in the joy of achievement and the relentless striving to be better, calmer, cleaner, kinder.
Showcasing a blend of soft sculpture, textile-based installation and painting, artworks spill into space, with garments hovering between comfort and overwhelm, using the blur between art, design and fashion to reflect on the future.
These works are an invitation to consider how expectations shape not only how we look, but how we feel and move through the world. Playful, honest and deeply human, Keep Up zooms in on the way we live now — messy, colourful, trying our best. It imagines a slower, softer world, one designed not for perfection, but for possibility.
Participants
Meg Kolac
Meg Kolac is a Melbourne/Naarm-based illustrator and designer who creates art with a playful soul and a big heart.Her energetic work spans fine art, branding projects and textile design. Whether she’s sketching lively characters, natural forms, or celebrating the beauty of the female body, Meg’s illustrations connect with audiences on a deeply human level.In recent years, Meg has leaned into more focused collaborations, working with brands to infuse their messaging with warmth and personality. From teaming up with iconic Australian names to her editorial work, Meg uses carefully crafted illustration to champion diversity and highlight natural elements in sustainability and wellbeing campaigns. Variety keeps her inspired, and no project is too big or small to benefit from her signature blend of joy, creativity and authenticity.Beyond her client-based work, Meg’s artistic journey includes showcasing her works in a range of Australian exhibitions, running life drawing workshops, and teaching Fashion Design at RMIT University. She loves illustrating for children, with her work featured in kids’ books and children’s fashion campaigns, always keeping alive the spirit of curiosity and play.Meg’s fascination with the human body started early – in fact, it was the art of human movement, in the form of Meg’s fascination with ballet, that first captured her heart. Now, that same interest in the human form finds its way into her illustrations, particularly in her explorations of the female figure.Meg thrives on challenging briefs, especially those that embrace notions of inclusion and cultural pluralism. Whether she’s creating illustrations for a marketing campaign or designing a special, custom artwork for a family member, Meg’s work is always energised by a passion for nature and human connection. At the heart of it all, Meg’s mission is simple: to create art that inspires, invigorates, and brings people together.