Ken Done is my Dolly Parton. Paintings by Leona DeBolt

Ken Done Is My Dolly Parton is a celebration of influence. The exhibition was sparked by a chance meeting between Leona DeBolt and Ken Done, leading her to explore the idea of honouring an artistic hero. Drawn to Done’s remarkable abstracts, his embrace of the everyday, and his unwavering commitment to his own visual language, DeBolt embarked on a journey of immersion and study.

During a residency at Grafton Regional Gallery, she examined and responded to the Ken Done works in the Gallery’s permanent collection before travelling to Sydney to spend time with Done in his studio. The conversations and shared moments of practice profoundly influenced both her creative approach and the mindset she brings to her work.

The resulting paintings are responses born of reflection, research, and risk-taking. Works that have challenged, surprised, and stretched her own practice. They may not be what she first imagined, but as a wise artist once said: “If they don’t like it, fuck ’em.”

A GRG project

This exhibition will run from 27 September until 23 November 2025.

 

Image: Leona DeBolt, Laid back, 2025, mixed media on canvas. Image courtesy of the artist. Photography: Mia Zapata