News

Congratulations to Joanna Chew, who has won the 2023 Glover Prize for her painting Tender.

Chew, a Tasmanian-based artist, wins $75,000 for the painting, which depicts a three-legged dog standing in front of a tent and caravan, a commentary on the accessibility of the housing market.

In her artist’s statement, Chew describes how “Images of tents and caravans were frequently in the news at the beginning of 2018 when my daughter and I moved back to Hobart. We lived with my parents for a year, unable to find a rental we could afford. It was easy to see why more and more people were forced into solutions like setting up a temporary home at the Showgrounds – an option that will cease within the coming months.”

The 2023 Prize is judged by Suzanne Cotter, director of Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Tasmanian artist Lucienne Rickard, and director of Niagara Gallery, William Nuttall.

Suzanne Cotter says of the winning piece, “It is a complex painting that addresses contemporary life and themes of home and belonging at the same time as it speaks to a history of painting and the figure of John Glover himself, whose landscapes can be understood as a search for self-recognition in a world that was not his own.”

Image:

Tender, oil on linen, 183 x 127cm

Vipoo Srivilasa's work Beneath the Love has been acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria, using funds donated by the Rob Gould Foundation.

Vipoo says of the work:

"Beneath the Tree of Love is my way of honoring love, commitment, and companionship. Inspired by the ceramic sculpture "The Music Lesson" from the Chelsea Porcelain Factory in the NGV collection, I wanted to blend old styles with a modern twist. This piece shows the close bond between two people and their pet, symbolizing unity and harmony in a loving relationship. It also shows a few pairs of animals who often visit my backyard. I hope the piece brings you the feelings of warmth and happiness. A celebration of love."

IMAGE:
Beneath the Tree of Love 2024
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Rob Gould Foundation
Image courtesy the artist

Congratulations to Bridie Gillman whose work 'Pink room, pink womb' has been selected as a finalist in the 2025 Ramsay Art Prize at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

The Ramsay Art Prize supports contemporary Australian artists under 40 to make their best work in any medium and of any scale. Supported in perpetuity by the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, finalist works are selected by a panel of judges and shown at the Art Gallery of South Australia in a major exhibition opening 31 May, 2025.

IMAGE:

Bridie Gillman
Pink room, pink womb 2024
oil on canvas, timber, tufted wool, audio soundscape
202 x 190 x 162cm

Congratulations to Belem Lett who has been selected for the 2025 Omni Art Prize exhibition. This art prize and exhibition celebrate contemporary artists, promoting and selling their works. In 2022 Belem Lett won the Omnia Major Prize for Most Outstanding Work.

IMAGE:
Building Blocks 2024
oil, gesso, marble dust on aluminium composite panel
150 x 122cm

Bundit Puangthong has been working on multiple murals for Soi38's new location. Soi38 brings authentic Thai food to Melbourne, with distinct street food style architecture and seating. The restaurant thrived and became an institution. And its fiery salads, raw seafood and moo kata (Thai barbeque) helped kick off a new wave of Thai dining in Melbourne.

The mural has Bundit's distinct mix of bold street art and traditional Thai drawing on a monumental scale, featuring imagery of the monkey god 'Hanuman'.

"The walls are covered in swirling, star-studded murals by Melbourne-based Thai artist Bundit Puangthong, and a stainless steel bar anchors the room, allowing for an expanded drinks menu that includes Thai beers on tap, natural wines by the bottle, and a signature cocktail menu that features gin infused in-house with Thai ingredients like lemongrass, chilli and makrut lime."

READ MORE HERE

IMAGE:

Installation view, Bundit's Soi38 mural, courtesy Chege Mbuthi

We are delighted to share that Belem Lett’s paintings are currently on display in ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ at Ngununggula, alongside works by Rebecca Bauman, Christopher Langton, and Brendan Van Hek.

Using reflective surfaces, sources of light, and sculptural forms, the four artists in ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ share an interest in the properties of colour, and the emotive and visceral reactions that it can evoke. Belem Lett’s joyful paintings have been beautifully curated against mirrored walls, allowing the works to converse across opposite sides of the room.

‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ is current at Ngununggula until 30 March.

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IMAGE:

Installation view ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’, Ngununggula, 2025, image courtesy Mim Sterling

"10 of the hottest Australian artists to have on your radar"

Written by Yeong Sassall, January 2025

"Dan's work captures the beauty and mystique of the Australian bush, blending figuration and abstraction through layered marks and tones that mimic the natural movement around him. His attention to light and shadow is personally my favourite part of his work.”

READ MORE HERE

IMAGE:

Dan Kyle

Devils Creek Track 2024

oil and mixed media on canvas

85.5 x 127.5 cm

Bundit Puangthong has been teaching crowds of visitors this week in the National Gallery of Victoria's 'Drop By Drawing' sessions. Occurring every Saturday during their summer program, the drawing sessions encourage members of the public to learn new tips, tricks, and drawing techniques from renowned artists, taking inspiration from the Gallery's collection.

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IMAGE:

Drop By Drawing session at NGV, 2025, courtesy Michael Pham

Congratulations to Pia Murphy who has been awarded a 2025 Visual Arts Fellowship to begin a residency in Montauk, New York. The fellowship was awarded through the Edward F. Albee Foundation and recognises the great talent of a range of artists bi-annually. The foundation aims to provide opportunities to a range of artists through a residency at ‘The Barn’, made possible through the abundant proceeds from the play ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’, memorialising Edward F Albee’s contribution to the arts.

IMAGE:

Pia Murphy in her studio, courtesy Rhys Lee

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Eliza Gosse is exhibiting in Seoul this month, alongside three other international artists in an exhibition titled 'Naive Realism'. The show reinterprets still life painting through architectural scenes from the everyday. The four artists aim to remove meaning from historical objects in order to provoke personal memories and reflections from the viewer.

Eliza Gosse's contribution is two acrylic paintings on canvas, and two gouache paintings on paper, each titled in response to moments of solitude in her home.

The exhibition is open 27 December, 2024 until 2 February, 2025.

READ MORE HERE

IMAGE:

Eliza Gosse

'Kumquats in the Courtyard' 2024

acrylic on canvas

137 x 112 cm

Image Courtesy the artist and Art Space Howha