PRISM Opens as ROMULUS Reanchors at the World Trade Centre Melbourne

Zic Liu, Scott Ross, Angelina Mirabito & Cr Philip Le Liu

On Friday 7 August 2026, PRISM opened at ROMULUS Folio Gallery, marking the launch of a new group exhibition and the reanchoring of ROMULUS at the World Trade Centre Melbourne.

The evening brought together artists, collaborators, supporters and visitors for a celebration of contemporary artistic practice and a significant new chapter for the gallery.

After a period of considerable transition, it was especially meaningful to see the space filled with people, conversation and art again.

The evening was officially opened by Councillor Philip Le Liu, who joined us to mark the opening of PRISM and ROMULUS in its new home. Philip spoke about the important contribution artists, galleries and cultural organisations make to Melbourne’s creative and multicultural life, and we greatly appreciated his presence and support.

We were also joined by Sheryl Leigh, whose support has made it possible for ROMULUS to continue its exhibition program within the Melbourne Arts Advancement Centre at the World Trade Centre Melbourne. Sheryl spoke about the Centre and the broader work of Creative Asia Art Centre, and the opportunities created when artists, cultural organisations and creative practices are brought together.

It was also wonderful to have Angela Liu with us, whose encouragement and ongoing support has been deeply appreciated.

Behind the scenes, Scott Ross, Gallery Manager at ROMULUS, has worked throughout the transition into the new space and in the preparation and installation of PRISM.

Our interns, Zichuan (Zic) Liu and Xin Ji, both completing the Master of Arts and Cultural Management at the University of Melbourne, have also contributed across exhibition preparation, installation and gallery operations during an exceptionally busy period.

Peter Brook, Gerard Russo, Elizabeth Gleeson, Angelina Mirabito, Scott Ross, Xinzhi (Doris) Li

The evening was an opportunity to recognise the many people who have remained connected to ROMULUS through a period of considerable change. To everyone who attended an exhibition, shared our work, offered advice, volunteered time, collaborated with us or simply kept asking what would come next, we deeply appreciate that support.

At the centre of the evening was the exhibition itself.

PRISM brings together eight artists whose practices span abstraction, figuration and expanded approaches to painting:

Elizabeth Gleeson
Peter Brook
Matthew Simpson
Fiona Johnston
Keith Ross
Gerard Russo
Xinzhi (Doris) Li
Regina Kaluzny

Peter Brook

The exhibition takes its conceptual starting point from one of nature’s simplest yet most extraordinary phenomena.

A prism receives a single beam of light and reveals the spectrum contained within it. Though light may first appear unified, it is composed of many colours, each becoming visible through refraction. What first appears singular is revealed to be layered, nuanced and interconnected.

PRISM uses this phenomenon as a metaphor for contemporary art, bringing together distinct artistic voices and allowing new relationships to emerge when they are experienced in proximity to one another.

Across the exhibition, colour, line, form, gesture, surface, materiality and light are explored through markedly different visual languages.

Elizabeth Gleeson’s intricate compositions explore rhythm, repetition and symmetry through richly ornamented patterns informed by decorative traditions.

Peter Brook’s geometric abstractions investigate relationships between colour, proportion and line through clarity, balance and restraint.

Matthew Simpson constructs energetic compositions through layered gestural marks, allowing line to become movement and structure.

Fiona Johnston’s vibrant works explore organic transformation through fluid colour and biomorphic forms.

Keith Ross presents figurative works examining human experience through narrative, symbolism and observation.

Gerard Russo expands the boundaries between painting and sculpture through illuminated works combining painting, etching and integrated back-lighting.

Xinzhi (Doris) Li creates emotionally charged paintings informed by memory, identity and cultural experience.

Regina Kaluzny’s figurative works distil the human form through expressive line, patterned surfaces and carefully balanced composition.

Peter Brook, Gerard Russo, Elizabeth Gleeson, Angelina Mirabito, Scott Ross, Xinxhi (Doris) Li

Although each artist works through a distinctive visual language, connections begin to emerge across the exhibition.

Line moves between geometry, ornament, expressive gesture and figuration. Colour functions as both structure and emotion. Surface ranges from meticulously controlled to intuitively layered. Light itself becomes an artistic material.

Abstraction sits alongside narrative, while precision exists beside spontaneity.

Rather than presenting a single definition of contemporary painting, PRISM celebrates the richness that emerges when multiple perspectives occupy the same space.

Opening Night

One of the most rewarding aspects of the evening was seeing those relationships move beyond the artworks themselves.

Artists stood alongside their works while visitors moved through the gallery, looked closely, asked questions and entered into conversations around individual pieces and the exhibition as a whole.

Some works invited close attention to surface and material. Others created immediate encounters through colour, pattern, light or the human figure.

In this way, the exhibition became something experienced collectively rather than simply viewed.

A gallery is shaped by the artworks it holds, and the encounters that take place around them. On opening night, PRISM became a space for conversation, discovery and connection.

ROMULUS Reanchored

The opening also marked the reanchoring of ROMULUS at the World Trade Centre Melbourne.

The new location brings the gallery and studio into a broader creative environment and creates opportunities for new forms of artistic exchange, collaboration and programming.

PRISM represents the beginning of this next phase.

The evening also created a natural bridge to Threads of Love, opening at the Creative Asia Foundation on Friday 14 August at the Mezzanine level of the World Trade Centre.

Guests were invited to contribute cards containing reflections, memories, images, messages and thoughts that will become part of an interactive installation within the exhibition.

Threads of Love is guest curated by Dr Angelina Mirabito, with Scott Ross as Project Manager. Inspired by the ancient Qixi tradition and its historic celebration of women’s creativity, skill and artistic excellence, the exhibition expands into contemporary explorations of love, identity, memory and cultural inheritance.

As the evening continued, visitors spent time with the works, spoke with artists and discovered connections between practices that initially appeared entirely distinct.

This is where PRISM comes alive. Like light passing through a prism, each artwork offers a different way of seeing and understanding the world. Together, the works reveal a spectrum of ideas, experiences, materials and perspectives, each illuminating the others in unexpected ways.

We greatly appreciate everyone who joined us for the opening and everyone who continues to support the artists and ROMULUS.

PRISM continues at ROMULUS Folio Gallery, World Trade Centre Melbourne until Thursday 27 August 2026.

The exhibition can be viewed by appointment throughout the remainder of the exhibition, offering visitors the opportunity to spend time with the works in the gallery and experience the exhibition in person.

Written by Angelina Mirabito, PhD

10 August 2026

Scott Ross and Angelina Mirabito