10 Australian Artists That Should Be On Your Radar
Amidst all the current unrest, stress, shit people, $5 lettuces that should be 30c, an entire war going off, climate change and the fact that Sam Kerr is still nursing an ACL injury even though the Olympics are only two months out - life sure isn’t looking up Milhouse.
And yet in times like these, when our backs are up against the wall, it is art that we turn to and it is art that is always there to help us through. When our hearts have been broken we put on a song, when we can’t sleep we pick up a book, when we want to distract ourselves from the noise of the world we flick on the television or go to the movies, and when we want to appreciate something nice for once we look at art. Not to mention the fact that in times of struggle, trust an artist to be the first person to put on a benefit concert or auction of their work to raise money to help (despite the government stripping all resources to help them back). There is no scientific explanation for how or why art heals us that I am aware of, and yet it is a tried, tested and fail proof method for making life a little more bearable since the dawn of time. And on that note - here are ten Australian artists that we wholeheartedly love and support.
Sophie Chauncy
Growing up in any regional part of Australia brings an innate love for nature and the bush that can be difficult to explain but Sophie Chauncy’s art encapsulates it perfectly. Raised on a farm somewhere in the middle of NSW, Sophie’s art documents the Australian bush serving as a reminder to nurture our unique environment. Sophie just finished her exhibition at Wagga Wagga Art Gallery but will be exhibiting ‘Trails’ at Griffith Regional Art Gallery from Friday June 14th.
Mark Bo Chu
There is something so nostalgic about quintessential Australian landmarks - from bars to bookstores, vintage shops to fast food chains, Mark Bo Chu series of colourful, textured paintings paints settings in a way that makes you appreciate home and that’s why we love him.
Photo: Sunday Salon
Hannah Lange
Hannah is a proud Wiradjuri woman who uses art to teach and paint the knowledge of her ancestors, like many before her. Her work captures the little pieces of nature that are easy to rush past in our busy lives, inviting us to slow down and stay a while. She currently has an exhibition at Saint Cloche Gallery in Paddington.
Photo: Coe Gallery, iKOU
Melissa Ladkin
A proud descendant of the Awabakal, Wonnarua and Bundjalung people with a contemporary take on her culture’s art. Melissa specifically works with ochre to portrays her innate connection to the land. She is also a land conservationist, caring for Country and hoping her art will inspire the same. View her work at Ninbella Gallery in Bangalow.
Photo: Ninbella
Benjamin Barretto
Born in WA, Benjamin’s work oozes a style that is unlike any other. A former skater who also draws inspiration from music, his work is an intersection of just about everything we love at Monster Children. Previously contracted by Sugar Mountain where he painted a piece of work live to the sound of the festival, Benjamin has solidified himself as an artist we adore.
Photos: Animal House Fine Arts
Tiarna Herczeg
Tiarna Herczeg is a proud Kuku Yalanji and Hungarian artist. Through her duality as a First Nation artist and second-generation immigrant, the act of painting for Tiarna is used as a vehicle for staying grounded and connected to her culture. Her paintings are full of vibrant colour and organic composition in loose, gestural strokes and something we can see working on any wall in our home. Oh, and she does rugs! Keep an eye our for Tiarna’s show at the Laundry Gallery in Darwin around September.
Photos: Jack Rockliffe
Christopher Zanko
Christopher Zanko is an artist based in the Illawarra/Dharawal region of the New South Wales South Coast where he draws inspiration from the mid-twentieth century houses that are emblematic of the region. Heavily influenced by architecture, Japanese woodblock carving and wood-relief printing Christopher seeks amongst the masses, the elements that made these houses into homes and turn them into his own. See him in Laid Bug gallery in Tokyo in July.
Photo: Christopher Zanko, Egg & Dart Gallery
Luna Tunes
You may be familiar with the vibrant, uniquely Australian work of Luna Tunes already as the head illustrator of House of Darwin. Outside of design work, Liam known by their artist name Luna Tunes is also paints his own works, animates and creates LUNA TUNES QUARTERLY - an art, music, movie magazine. You bet we’ve got a soft spot for magazine makers!
Gregory Hodge
An Australian artist now based in France, Gregory’s work is a mix between abstract and figuration with obscured motifs of foliage, interiors and architecture. For his latest collection he drew inspiration from 17th and 18th-century tapestries that depict northern European landscapes which saw him win the NSW Art Gallery Wynne Prize last year.
Photo: Artsy
Sally Stokes
Sally Stokes is a Sydney based abstract landscape artist who makes art that makes us smile. With 23 solo shows under her belt, she’s cemented herself as one of Australia’s darlings and we would like one of her artworks in every size.
