Michael Cox reviews a ‘hilariously moving and poignant’ production.
Australian Sam Kissajunkian was a stand-up comedian for ten years. Depressed and feeling like a failure, he gives it up, secludes himself inside a former cake factory and, on a whim (and a discovery of a beret), decides to become an artist.
Maybe not the craziest origin story around, but it is certainly a unique way of finding one’s artistic calling.
Kissajunkian’s 300 Paintings follows the basic structure of the artist confessional. It has the usual beats, the triumphs and losses, and it has themes of mental health and self-discovery.
What it also has is a wicked sense of humour and a self-awareness that comes across as charming and is served with numerous jokes and funny insights. More importantly, it is an honest and critical look at the creative process—and how the global market influences the art world.
Is Kissajunkian telling the whole truth? Have facts been massaged? Are there even moments of invention? Perhaps: but in truth, none of this matters. The journey of 300 Paintings is hilariously moving and poignant. It’s far sharper than it first appears, and it has a lot more intelligence and heart than Kissajunkian will have you believe at the start.
300 Paintings is at Summerhall (Main Hall) until August 25, 2025 (no performance on the 12th or 19th).
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