Life in colour – Ken Done’s No Rules exhibition brings creativity and culinary curiosities to HOTA
Ken Done’s paintings have captured the public imagination for more than four decades, his fearless use of colour and vibrant imagery making him one of Australia’s most recognisable and beloved artists. From exuberant depictions of the reef and harbour to reflections of everyday life, Ken Done has built a career unlike any other – one defined by spontaneity, emotion and a steadfast refusal to play by traditional art-world rules. As he famously says, “There are no rules. And if there are rules, then you may as well break them.” That spirit is at the heart of Ken Done: No Rules, the major exhibition splashing into HOTA from Saturday September 13.
Ken Done: No Rules is an open invitation to wander, linger and soak up the celebrated artist’s boundless optimism. As one of Australia’s most joyful, colour-obsessed artists, the exhibition is bursting with artworks from the 1980s to today, which are largely drawn from the artist’s own personal collection. Visitors can also experience a vivid animation showcasing a selection of iconic paintings, offering visitors a deeper immersion into his vibrant universe. Also included is a selection of outfits from Australian designer duo Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales of Romance Was Born from their 2023 collaborative collection, Done Zone.
At a youthful eighty-five, Ken Done remains true to his personal philosophy – that an artist can, and should, create their own rules – a theme that runs throughout the entire exhibition.
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Once you’ve soaked in the colour, Palette invites you to taste it. Executive chef Dayan Hartill-Law has crafted a tasting menu that translates the artist’s exuberance into flavour, beginning with playful breakfast-inspired snacks such as a warm bunuelo filled with smoky speck-infused bacon jam and a sour-cream pastry tart topped with cherry gel and bruleed foie-gras parfait. The journey continues with dishes like bluefin tuna prepared two ways, a plate inspired by Ken’s work Black Lava Reef. A vivid prawn ‘pasta’ dish echoes his Niseko Stripes with wild king-prawn sheets, smoked-scampi caviar, salmon roe and ama ebi, all finished at the table with a sapphire-blue butterfly-pea consomme. The works of 80 Flowers bloom on the plate through hand-dived Hervey Bay scallops nestled beneath pickled green strawberries, finger lime and koji buttermilk split with brown butter.
Larger plates celebrate the land with charcoal-grilled Brisbane Valley quail glazed in Davidson plum and finished with a truffled-macadamia crumb, while Palette’s South East Queensland mole underpins a striking wild kangaroo dish paired with Davidson plum shoyu and heritage beetroots.
Dessert brings Ken’s sense of whimsy into sharp focus, starting with a roaming yuzu soft-serve trolley where guests can choose playful toppings such as miso fudge or tamari-spiked chocolate sauce. A final flourish comes in the form of mango entremets inspired by Between the Flags, layering mango, passionfruit, raspberry and white chocolate into a bright, summer-ready finale. Vegetarian interpretations of the menu are equally inventive, with dishes such as heritage beetroot on aged rice, daikon noodles in mushroom-butter broth and kohlrabi stepping in for scallop.
Together, the exhibition and menu embody Ken Done’s rule-breaking spirit, one a riot of colour on canvas, the other a vivid celebration on the plate. Ken Done: No Rules opens this weekend at HOTA.