A new gallery has popped up in one of Melbourne’s most ‘underrated’ neighbourhoods, bringing together 17 contemporary artists for an exciting opening exhibition.

With plenty of major galleries already dotted around the CBD, Gallery Jones Art & Frame House has opened its doors in leafy, suburban Ripponlea as a local hub for curated group shows, creative events and custom picture framing under one roof.

‘Ripponlea Village is such an underrated part of Melbourne; it has a rich and diverse history, and we are among some talented folk with Attica opposite and Zelda a few shops down,’ Gallery Jones co-owner and curator Skye Jefferys explains.

The new, light-filled space is a homage to the area, named after the third owner of the nearby Ripponlea Estate, Louisa Jones – who was an advocate for the arts community in the 1930s. And the gallery’s debut exhibition, ‘Pleasure Garden’ also takes inspiration from the mansion’s lavish gardens!

‘The 17 artists were asked to explore notions of pleasure; what it is, how we experience it and if we can define it,’ Skye reveals. Some of the highlights from the line-up include Attica chef turned ceramicist Claire Ellis, Jess Choi of Eun Ceramics and painter Emma Currie.

‘There is a broad range of work in this show, from the delicate and gestural abstract paintings of Jia Xin Nong to the strong, geometric curling sculptures of Csongvay Blackwood and the thick palette knife oil paintings of Baden Croft, just to name a few,’ Skye adds.

See ‘Pleasure Garden’ at Gallery Jones until September 10.

Gallery Jones Art & Frame House
67 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea 3185
Boon Wurrung Country, VIC