Perth's art scene is about to get a major injection of colour and whimsy with the West Australian debut of world-renowned Italian artist Paola Pivi. Her blockbuster exhibition, I don't like it, I love it, opens at The Art Gallery of Western Australia, showcasing her uniquely provocative and playful style that has captivated audiences from Miami to Paris.
The exhibition, which runs until April 26, 2026, is touted as one of Pivi's most ambitious to date. It features two major new works commissioned specifically for the gallery, alongside her iconic, vibrantly coloured polar bears.
Art That Speaks For Itself
When asked about the meaning behind her creations, Pivi is famously reserved. She believes firmly in leaving interpretation open to the viewer. "It would be wrong not to leave it open. Who are the artists who don't leave it open? Shame on them. Who are we to tell you what to think?" she remarked during a walk-through of the exhibition.
This philosophy is embodied in works like Share, but it's not fair, a ceiling installation composed of 700 handmade knotted pillows made from fabric used for Tibetan Buddhist monk robes. Beneath it, wall paintings with phrases like "Free Humans" and "Please Don't Get a Divorce" offer hints, but no definitive answers, inviting personal reflection.
New Commissions: Suspended Liquid and a Giant Comic
The Perth debut has allowed Pivi to realise two long-held artistic dreams. The first, titled Love addict, is a stunning installation of 999 trays of suspended colourful liquid in the gallery's rooftop space. Functioning like a modern stained-glass window, the piece encourages visitors to move through the space with a heightened awareness of their own bodies and the potential impact they have on their surroundings.
"There's a sense of suspending disbelief and suspending belief which runs through everything in terms of their physicality and their concepts," says exhibition curator Robert Cook.
The second new work is a 14-metre inflatable comic strip that fills the gallery's central void. Created in collaboration with American illustrator Lincoln Peirce, the piece is titled Fortunately, one picture is worth a thousand of these suckers… For Pivi, this work is a homage to the comic art that changed her life, pulling her away from a career in chemical engineering and into the art world.
Iconic Bears and a Political Undertone
Arguably the most Instagrammable elements of the show are Pivi's technicolour polar bears. Three new bears make their debut in Perth, each frozen in a playful pose and meticulously covered in fluorescent feathers from Italy and Australia.
While visually joyful, these iconic creatures also carry a deeper message. "Their cheerful beauty and tender poses become unexpectedly heart-wrenching when we consider the endangered status of these arctic giants," notes curator Cook, highlighting the work's commentary on climate change and the fragility of the natural world.
For Pivi, art and life are inseparable acts of curiosity. This exhibition, bright, bold, and brimming with inquisitive energy, is a testament to her belief that the playful and the profound can, and should, go hand in hand.
