Agelast Podcast

David Fairbairn is a Zambian-born Australian artist renowned for his powerful and psychologically charged portraits. Born in 1949, he studied at the West Surrey College of Art and Design and the Royal Academy Schools in London before moving to Australia in the early 1980s. Based in Wedderburn, southwest of Sydney, Fairbairn has established himself as one of Australia's most respected contemporary draughtsmen and portrait artists. Working across drawing, painting, printmaking and mixed media, Fairbairn is best known for his monumental portrait heads that explore memory, identity and human presence. His distinctive mark-making combines delicacy and intensity, creating works that are both intimate and commanding. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Fairbairn has received numerous major awards, including the Dobell Prize for Drawing in 1999 and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2002. He has been a frequent finalist in prestigious awards including the Archibald Prize and his work is held in…

In this episode, Gary and Fiona were joined by Shanti Shea An, a Sydney-based artist whose painting practice explores the complex relationship between images, language, memory, and meaning. Drawing from an eclectic range of sources, including personal photographs, literature, art history, and mass media, Shanti creates layered works that invite viewers to slow down and consider how images are read, translated, and understood. Her paintings embrace ambiguity, bringing together disparate visual languages to reveal the instability and fluidity of interpretation. Our conversation delves into the ideas that underpin Shanti’s practice, from her fascination with repetition, doubling, and translation to the influence of philosophy and the image of the book within contemporary painting. We discuss how research and studio practice intersect in her work, the role of visual references in shaping a painting, and how uncertainty can become a productive creative tool. Shanti also reflects on exhibiting in Australia and…

This week Gary talks to acclaimed Australian artist Tomislav Nikolic for a fascinating conversation about colour, perception, identity and the transformative power of art. Known for his luminous abstract paintings, Tomislav shares the stories behind his practice, the influence of his Croatian heritage, and how he creates works that invite viewers into a deeply sensory experience. We also discuss his current exhibition through a vale of Egregores and his ongoing relationship with Fox Jensen, one of Australia's leading contemporary galleries. Tomislav Nikolic lives and works in Melbourne. His work is held in major public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. He is represented by Fox Jensen in Sydney and Auckland, STATION in Melbourne, and Galeria Xavier Fiol in Spain. Fox/Jensen/McCrory Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Fox/Jensen Gallery, Sydney, Australia Galeria Xavier Fiol, Palma & Madrid, Spain STATION Gallery,…

In this episode, we sit down with Loribelle Spirovski, one of Australia's most distinctive contemporary painters. Born in Manila and raised between cultures, Spirovski's work explores identity, migration, memory and the psychological complexities of human experience through a powerful blend of portraiture, surrealism and abstraction. Loribelle Spirovski is a Filipino-Australian visual artist based in Sydney. Born in Manila in 1990, she moved to Australia in 1999 and graduated from Sydney's College of Fine Arts in 2012. Her work draws on her experience of migration, mixed European-Asian heritage, and the contrasts between her Philippine and Australian upbringing. Known primarily for her expressive portraiture, Spirovski's paintings often combine elements of realism, abstraction and surrealism, creating psychologically charged images that explore identity, memory and human vulnerability. Her work has been exhibited throughout Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, and is held in public…

Juno Gemes is a Hungarian-born Australian photographer, publisher, and social justice activist. Her photographs are held in major Australian collections, including the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia. Her work has played a significant role in documenting First Nations cultural strength, political activism, and contemporary Australian history. In this episode of Art Wank, we speak with acclaimed Australian photographer and activist Juno Gemes, whose work has documented the lives, culture, and political struggles of First Nations people for more than five decades. Born in Budapest and arriving in Australia as a child, Gemes began her creative life in theatre before turning to photography in the 1970s. Her images have become an invaluable visual record of key moments in Australia's history, including the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, land rights campaigns, the handback of Uluru, and the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. Known as a "quiet activist," Gemes discusses the role…

Paul Connor is an Australian painter whose practice centres on landscape, observation and environmental engagement. Originally trained in architecture, he later completed a Master of Fine Art at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, graduating with first-class honours. Connor has exhibited for more than three decades and is represented in collections throughout Australia and internationally. Known for his expressive interpretations of place, he continues to build upon the rich tradition of Australian landscape painting while addressing contemporary concerns about the environment and cultural connection to country. In this episode, we explore the work and career of Australian artist Paul Connor, a painter whose practice is deeply rooted in the tradition of landscape painting while engaging with contemporary ideas about memory, place and environmental change. Drawing inspiration from direct observation, Connor's work captures both the physical reality and emotional resonance of the…

Kirtika Kain is an Australian artist of Dalit heritage whose work explores identity, culture, migration, memory and belonging. Through her art and conversations, she brings personal and collective stories into the spotlight, creating space for voices and experiences that are often overlooked. Her work reflects the complexities of being Dalit, Australian and part of a diverse global community, while celebrating resilience, creativity and the power of storytelling. Kirtika Kain was born in New Delhi, India and now works on Darug Country, Sydney. Considerations of caste and identity underpin her materially driven practice, which seeks to reimagine personal and collective narratives. Kain’s work has been exhibited widely, both locally and internationally, with notable exhibitions including Adelaide Biennale, 2026; Kochi-Muziris Biennale, 2025; the 24th Biennale of Sydney, 2024; and the 13th Bamako Encounters at the African Biennale of Photography, Mali, 2022. Kirtika is represented by Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in…

Gary Deirmendjian is a Sydney-based contemporary artist whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses sculpture, installation, photography, video, and site-specific intervention. Working predominantly in public and shared spaces, he is recognised for creating thought-provoking works that challenge audiences through scale, immersion, and unexpected encounters. His projects often explore the social, political, and environmental conditions that shape everyday life, encouraging viewers to re-examine familiar surroundings with fresh eyes. Deirmendjian has exhibited extensively throughout Australia and internationally, receiving numerous commissions for public artworks, temporary installations, and moving-image projects. Career highlights include presence (2017), a major moving-image commission for Sydney's Wynyard Station, and pulse (2020), commissioned for Federation Square in Melbourne. He was awarded the British School at Rome Residency in 2017 and is the author of the monograph A Prevailing Sense of Disquiet…

In this episode of Art Wank, we speak with Katrina Cashman, Gallery Manager and Senior Curator at the National Art School, about the exhibition currently on display at the NAS Gallery, Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste. 'Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste celebrates the legacy and significant achievements of Margaret Olley AC – National Art School alum and one of Australia’s most beloved painters – through the lens of the European artistic tradition intimisme, which honours the quiet poetry of domestic life and the interior world. Drawing from significant public and private collections, Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste traces Olley’s preoccupations from early interiors to her later richly textured compositions featuring floral arrangements, antiques, and domestic objects. Each painting is more than a still life – it is a portrait, a sensory memory, and a trace of the artist’s personal world, animated by beauty. Curated by NAS Gallery Manager and Senior Curator Katrina Cashman curator in consultation…

In this episode of Artwank, we talk with Australian artist Peter Stevens about his practice, career, and connection to landscape. Stevens has worked as a professional artist for more than 30 years, building a body of work that spans painting, printmaking, and mixed media. His work is represented by Defiance Gallery in Sydney and is held in both public and private collections. Peter studied at Sydney College of the Arts, completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts before undertaking postgraduate studies in printmaking. Over his career he has been a finalist in major Australian art prizes including the Paddington Art Prize and the Mosman Art Prize, and has been selected multiple times for the Salon des Refusés. His work is held by institutions including Artbank, Western Sydney University, Sydney University, and James Cook University in Townsville. The conversation explores the development of his visual language and the role of sustained studio practice. Peter discusses how his approach has evolved over time while…

Australian artist Dan Kyle joins the podcast to discuss his painting practice and his long connection to the landscapes of the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions of New South Wales. A graduate of the National Art School, Kyle has built a career focused on exploring the Australian bush through works that sit between observation and abstraction. His paintings draw on daily experiences of living and working close to the natural environment, reflecting changing light, weather, seasons and the ongoing relationship between people and place. In this conversation, Kyle shares how his surroundings influence his creative process, the challenges and rewards of making landscape painting relevant to contemporary audiences, and the importance of spending time observing the land. He also reflects on the impact of environmental events including drought, fire and flooding on both the landscape and his work. The discussion offers insight into the development of his artistic practice, his life as a painter in regional New…

We interview the winners of the 2026 Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize, presented at Manly Art Gallery & Museum in August 2026. Ceramicist Scott Duncan took out the Art category with his work Choice Quality, a ceramic piece inspired by everyday packaging materials such as fruit box cardboard. Drawing on his experience as a chef, Duncan explores cycles of consumption, waste and renewal through his practice. The work incorporates handmade beads created from recycled waste clay, transforming discarded material into something valuable and enduring. In this episode, Scott discusses what winning the prize means to him, his connection to Manly, and his creative practice at Kil.n.it Studio in Glebe. We also talk about the ideas behind Choice Quality and how his work encourages us to reconsider the materials we use, discard and overlook in everyday life. Scott is represented by Arthouse Gallery in Sydney We speak with Nahum McLean, Ben Styles and Stefan Lie, winners of the Design category at the 2026…

In this episode of Art Wank, we chat with artist Sophie Cape about the winding path that led her from elite sport to a life in contemporary art. Before establishing herself as an artist, Sophie competed at a high level in both skiing and cycling, dedicating years to training, competition, and the pursuit of performance. She reflects on the mindset required to succeed in sport and how those experiences continue to shape the way she approaches her work today. Sophie also shares what it was like growing up with artist Ann Cape as her mother. Surrounded by creativity from an early age, art was always present in her life, although it would take many years and several career changes before she fully embraced it as her own path. We discuss the influence of family, the balance between inspiration and independence, and how her creative identity developed over time. A major turning point came with a series of injuries that ultimately brought her sporting career to an end. Sophie speaks candidly about the emotional…

In this episode, artist Sandi Hester discusses her career as a painter, teacher, and YouTube creator. She shares the story behind her move from the United States to Exeter, England, and reflects on the practical and creative changes that came with relocating to a new country. Sandi talks about setting up a new studio, adjusting to life in Devon, and finding inspiration in her new surroundings. The conversation also explores her approach to making art, developing a consistent practice, and balancing painting with creating online content. Sandi reflects on the lessons she has learned from building an audience, growing as an artist, and staying focused through periods of change. The episode offers insight into the realities of a creative career and how a major life move can open the door to new ideas, experiences, and directions in an artist’s work. Sandi's work was in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibiton 2026 You can look at Sandi's work, art classes and youtube trhough her website sandihester.com Hosted on…

John Peart (1945–2013) was one of Australia's most respected abstract painters. Across a career spanning almost five decades, he developed a deeply personal visual language shaped by observation, intuition and a lifelong commitment to painting. From his early years in Brisbane to his long association with Watters Gallery and the artists' community at Wedderburn, Peart continually pushed his work in new directions while remaining true to the act of looking, questioning and making. His achievements included winning the Wynne Prize in 1997 and the Sulman Prize in 2000, and his work is held in every major Australian public collection. In this episode, Julie Nicholson and Gary Seller are joined by artists Euan Macleod and Joe Frost to celebrate Peart's life, work and enduring influence. Rather than a formal biography, this is a conversation between artists who knew him personally and whose own practices have been shaped by his generosity, intelligence and remarkable paintings. Together they discuss Peart's…

Osvaldo Budet: Upriver Downriver Maitland Regional Art Gallery opens July 11th 2026, opening night 24th July and 25th July a talk and Q & A with Dr Nancy Cushing from University of Newcastle. Puerto Rican Australian artist Osvaldo Budet joins Art Wank to discuss Upriver Downriver, his exhibition at Maitland Regional Art Gallery exploring one of the Hunter region's most debated public monuments: Maitland's Black Boy statue, now more commonly referred to as Jocko Graves. For more than a century, the cast iron figure has stood in the centre of Maitland's civic life. Celebrated by some as a beloved local landmark and questioned by others for its racial imagery and colonial associations, the statue has become a focal point for conversations about history, memory, race, and heritage. Budet's work is informed by his experience growing up in Borikén, Puerto Rico, a place still shaped by colonial structures and histories. In Upriver Downriver, he considers how inherited images and public monuments continue to shape…

Inga Dalrymple is a visual artist whose practice explores painting and drawing as a dialogue between material, gesture and perception. Working between abstraction and observation, she is interested in how paint can hold traces of movement, memory and experience. Inspired by nature and the feelings it can evoke, Inga works through processes of layering, erasing and reworking. These actions become a record of time and thought, revealing decisions and changes made during the making of a work. Gesture sits at the centre of her practice. For Inga, each mark carries memory, emotion and a sense of place, while also acting as a way of thinking through painting. Forms appear and disappear, allowing the surface to guide the work as it develops. In this episode of Art Wank, Inga talks about painting as a process of thinking, the role of gesture and memory, and how abstraction can give form to experiences that are difficult to define. Inga is represented by Otomys. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…

Australian artist Chris Horder joins Art Wank to discuss a painting practice shaped by intuition, chance and decades of experimentation. Known for his atmospheric stain paintings, Horder draws on influences ranging from Eastern ink traditions to Abstract Expressionism, creating works that embrace unpredictability and the unexpected. In this episode, he reflects on leaving school early to pursue art, the influence of travel and literature on his thinking, and the ongoing search for meaning through painting. Chris shares insights into his studio process, the balance between control and accident, and the importance of remaining open to discovery. The conversation ranges from art history and bohemian life to the realities of sustaining a creative career. Horder is a finalist of multiple major art prizes and scholarships including the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship and Dobell Prize. His paintings are in major public and private collection in Australia and around the world. Chris is represented by Nanda…

Australian artist Rosemary Lee joins Art Wank to discuss the quiet power of observation, the language of drawing, and finding beauty in the everyday. Awarded the 2025 Dobell Drawing Prize $30,000 acquisitive prize for her work 24–1 (2024), Lee’s meticulously rendered pencil drawing explores the changing urban landscape of Sydney’s Inner West, capturing construction sites, demolition zones and the constant cycle of renewal that shapes contemporary life. Selected from 965 entries, the work impressed judges with its extraordinary detail, visual intensity and nuanced reflection on place and transience. In this episode, Rosemary talks about her artistic journey, the meditative process of drawing, and why subjects that many people overlook have become a source of endless fascination. From the complexities of gentrification and urban change to the challenges and rewards of maintaining a sustained studio practice, she shares the thinking behind the work that earned one of Australia’s most significant drawing awards.…

In this episode of Art Wank, we sit down with acclaimed Australian artist Joe Furlonger, @joefurlonger one of the country’s most respected and enduring painters of landscape and place. For more than four decades, Furlonger has built a remarkable career through an unwavering commitment to drawing, observation and the lived experience of the Australian environment. Known for his expressive mark-making and dynamic compositions, his work moves between figuration and abstraction, capturing the vastness, volatility and poetry of the Australian landscape. From floodplains and drought-stricken country to coastal waters and working harbours, Furlonger’s paintings reveal a deep engagement with the rhythms of the natural world. Born in Cairns and now based in Samford, Queensland, Furlonger has been a finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes on multiple occasions, and his work is held in major public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of…

In this episode, we speak with Andrew Jensen, founder and director of Fox Jensen, one of Australia's leading contemporary art galleries and Fox Jensen Mccrory, alongside Emma Fox and Sarah Mccrory. Andrew discusses the evolution of the gallery, from its beginnings to its current presence in both Sydney and New Zealand. We explore the changing landscape of contemporary art, what makes a successful artist gallery relationship, and how a commercial gallery balances artistic vision with the realities of the art market. The conversation also touches on collecting, the international art scene, the enduring significance of painting, and the role galleries play in supporting artists throughout their careers. Andrew shares insights from decades of experience working closely with established and emerging artists, offering a candid look at the challenges and opportunities facing contemporary art today. Whether you're an artist, collector, curator, or simply interested in contemporary culture, this episode provides a…

In this episode of Art Wank, we speak with Mason Kimber, a Sydney based artist represented by N.Smith Gallery and Sophie Gannon Gallery. Kimber’s practice moves between textural painting, sculptural relief and installation, exploring the relationship between architecture, memory and surface. We discuss how childhood experiences wandering through his father’s Perth nightclubs shaped his fascination with interiors, texture and built environments, and how these memories continue to inform his paintings today. Kimber reflects on expanding the language of painting through moulding, casting and framing, creating works that sit somewhere between painting, object and architecture. The conversation also touches on studying fresco painting during his residency at the British School at Rome, completing a PhD focused on expanded painting practices, and balancing studio work with teaching at the National Art School and UNSW Art & Design. A conversation about memory, materiality, architecture and the possibilities of…

Lustre is a new temporary exhibition that explores the Allied campaigns in Greece and Crete in 1941 through the works of contemporary artists who walked in their footsteps in 2025. Lustre Force was the code name for the combined Australian, New Zealand and British army units deployed to protect Greece from Nazi attack in 1941. The Allied defence of Greece was overwhelmed in three and a half weeks in April 1941 and in May, Crete fell to a Nazi airborne invasion in just ten days. To record those heroic but doomed campaigns, Australia and New Zealand sent war artists and a photographer. Eighty-five years later, artists from Australia and New Zealand retraced their footsteps, walking the battlefields and visiting the cemeteries where the men and women of Lustre Force and their German foe lie. Lustre showcases the impressions they made of the impact of that journey. Some of the images show that the land and its people have recovered over time; others reveal that some scars take longer to fade. The exhibition…

Gary has a chat with artist Julie Nicholson about her show, Nostalgia, opening May 21st at CBD Gallery in Sydney. Julie has recently exhibited with CBD Gallery at the Aotearoa Art Fair (NZ), and her work has been widely recognised in national awards such as the Paddington Art Prizre and the Muswellbrook, and held in private collections in Australia and overseas. She co-hosts the popular arts podcast, Art Wank. Her duo solo exhibition, Nostalgia, stems from a sense of homesickness after moving from the UK to Australia at the age of 23. A deep sense of nostalgia has shaped her life, and only recently did she discover that nostalgia was once considered a disease. The works in this exhibition sit within that tension, posing the question of whether nostalgia is something that nurtures us, or something that holds us back. Many of the canvases in the exhibition are split across multiple panels, reflecting the fractured experience of trying to locate familiarity within a foreign landscape. Moments of recognition…

Brett McMahon is a Newcastle-based painter whose work explores the structures and rhythms of the natural and built environment. Represented by Nanda Hobbs, McMahon has built a significant practice spanning painting, drawing and installation. His work is known for its distilled, abstract language, bold lines, shifting geometries and a strong sense of spatial tension. Drawing from the coastal bush, industrial architecture and lived experience of place, his paintings sit somewhere between observation and reconstruction, where landscape becomes structure. Over a career spanning more than three decades, McMahon has held over 30 solo exhibitions and exhibited widely across Australia and internationally. His work is held in public, corporate and private collections across Australia, Europe, Asia and the United States. In this conversation, we talk about painting as a way of thinking, the role of environment in shaping visual language, and how a practice evolves over time without losing its core concerns. We also…

Send us Fan Mail Joe Frost is an Australian artist. He was born in Sydney in 1974 and has exhibited consistently since 1999. His visual thinking evolved in the urban environment and he is, in a sense, a local painter. Sydney’s remnant industrial areas were the subject of his earliest drawings and paintings and he has made extensive series of work in response to the western reaches of Sydney Harbour, the city’s CBD and the green, suburban precinct of Denistone. At times he has worked en plein air but his renditions of place have more usually been filtered through memory in the studio, where his approach to painting is improvisatory and layered. Over 25 years his process of finding-in-paint has come to manifest a great variety of subject matters, including public places, garden spaces, domestic objects and human figures in social situations. Some paintings land upon abstraction and are no less concerned with the matter of recognition: what is presented on the picture plane and what does the mind make of it? In…

Send us Fan Mail Sally Anderson’s work is strongly influenced by her personal life, including her experiences of home, motherhood and relationships, as well as second hand experiences of landscapes. She explores how meaning and memory are held, stored and carried. Born in Lismore, Sally Anderson began studying Visual Art at Southern Cross University before moving to the College of Fine Art in Sydney. She has been a finalist in the Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Portia Geach Memorial Award, the Sunshine Coast Art Prize and the Paddington Art Prize. In 2014 she took part in a residency with the Association of Icelandic Visual Artists in Reykjavik, Iceland. In 2017 she won the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship through the Art Gallery of NSW and completed a residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. These ideas continue in her upcoming exhibition at N Smith Gallery, opening on 9 April. Called Holding Pattern, River Hug, it builds on her interest in cycles, care, and…

Send us Fan Mail Nikky Morgan Smith is an Australian artist whose practice explores the intersection of memory, place, and emotional resonance through a refined visual language. Working across painting and mixed media, her work is characterised by layered surfaces, nuanced colour palettes, and an intuitive balance between abstraction and representation. Drawing inspiration from the Australian landscape as well as personal narratives, Smith’s compositions evoke a sense of atmosphere and quiet contemplation. Her process often involves building and reworking surfaces over time, allowing traces of earlier marks to remain visible and contribute to the depth and history of each piece. Smith has exhibited in a range of group and solo exhibitions, with her work held in private collections. Through her practice, she continues to investigate how environments, both physical and psychological, shape perception, inviting viewers into spaces that feel at once familiar and open to interpretation. She is an artist based in…

Send us Fan Mail In late 2025, we met with artist Edward Inchbold in his studio in Sydenham. A self-taught painter, he is deeply interested in the surface and texture of paint, as well as art history and the philosophies surrounding art-making. Edward began his practice in 2020 at the age of 25. Since 2021, he has presented five solo exhibitions, including a recent trilogy at Stella Downer Fine Art spanning eighteen months: Brand New People (2024), Wisteria Lemonade (2025), and Shedding Velvet (2026). This body of work signalled a series of pivotal shifts in both his approach and philosophy, positioning his practice within a broader contemporary context. Inchbold’s paintings are defined by constant reinvention and a resistance to fixed stylistic identities. His compositions are built through processes of compression, erasure, and revision, resulting in dense, atmospheric surfaces. He employs a dynamic and controlled handling of materials, working with brushes, knives, and large scrapers to articulate his…

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we speak with Alex Wisser, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Cementa Festival, a unique contemporary arts festival held in the rural town of Kandos, New South Wales. Known for transforming a former cement-making town into a hub of experimental art, performance, and community collaboration, Cementa has become one of Australia’s most distinctive regional arts events. Alex shares the story behind Cementa’s founding and how the festival grew from a grassroots idea into a nationally recognised platform for contemporary artists working outside traditional gallery spaces. We discuss the role of regional arts festivals in shaping cultural identity, building creative communities, and bringing ambitious artistic projects to unexpected places. The conversation also explores the relationship between artists and place—how the industrial history, architecture, and landscape of Kandos influence the work presented during the festival. Alex talks about the curatorial philosophy behind…

Send us Fan Mail We spoke with artist @meagan.jacobs.art about her life and work in Ampilatwatja, a remote Indigenous art centre. The conversation looks at daily creative practice on Country and the realities of living in a desert community. Meagan Jacobs is an Australian landscape painter whose practice has been shaped by years living and working in remote Indigenous communities. Born in Sydney and now based in Ampilatwatja (Alyawarre Country), her work reflects an ongoing relationship with Country and the desert environment. Her paintings use restrained colour palettes, interlocking forms and open space. Meagan Jacobs is represented by @defiancegallery, where she has held several exhibitions, including North of Capricorn (2025). She is currently included in the group exhibition Gathering at @defiancegallery until 28 March. Jacobs has also worked within remote Indigenous art communities, including as Art Centre Manager for Artists of Ampilatwatja. This work has influenced her approach, grounding her…

Send us Fan Mail James Erskine is the Founder and Director of Liverpool St Gallery in Sydney, bringing to the role a distinguished career that spans sports management and global entertainment. Before establishing the gallery, Erskine founded SEL Sports & Entertainment, building one of the most respected management companies in the international sporting and media landscape. Through SEL, he managed and advised an extraordinary roster of talent, including legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne, celebrated British broadcaster Michael Parkinson, and world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, among many others. As Director of Liverpool St Gallery, Erskine channels this unique background into a dynamic exhibition program that reflects excellence, character and cultural relevance. His leadership is shaped by first-hand experience at the highest levels of international sport and media — a perspective that distinguishes the gallery within Sydney’s contemporary art landscape. Through Liverpool St Gallery,…

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the life and work of Tim Johnson, one of Australia’s most distinctive contemporary artists. Known for blending Western art history, Indigenous knowledge systems, and spiritual iconography, Johnson’s practice spans decades of experimentation, collaboration, and cultural exchange. We discuss Johnson’s role in co-founding Inhibodress in the early 1970s, widely recognised as Australia’s first artist-run initiative. Established in Sydney, Inhibodress became a catalyst for experimental contemporary art, giving artists control over how and where their work was shown. It marked a turning point in Australia’s independent art scene and set the stage for Johnson’s boundary-pushing career. Johnson’s spiritual curiosity led him to engage deeply with Tibetan Buddhism, including meeting Dalai Lama. This encounter reinforced themes already present in his work, compassion, interconnectedness, cosmology, and sacred symbolism—which continue to appear in his layered, richly…

Send us Fan Mail With a practice that integrates sculpture, moving image, performance and painting, Sydney based artist Todd Fuller is, at his core, a draughtsman. Underpinning all aspects of his practice is a love of drawing and a belief in its power as a democratic medium to connect, engage and delight audiences. For ten years, Fuller has been crafting hand-drawn animations that grapple with love and loss, as well as ideas of place, identity and community. Often narrative in form, these award winning works are derived from Fuller’s experiences with different communities, sites and histories. He has been awarded a number of residencies that have informed and developed his practice, including time spent at Bundanon Trust, Hill End, Grafton Regional Art Gallery, as well as international stints at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris, the British School of Rome, and recently the NG Creative Residency in Provence. A graduate of Sydney’s National Art School, Fuller has exhibited widely across Australia over…

Send us Fan Mail Sanne Mestrom’s sculptural practice explores the politics of the body and the shifting nature of value in the art world. Drawing on the female form, her work questions how art history and culture assign meaning and worth—values that are never fixed, but constantly evolving. By taking these ideas out of the gallery and into public space, Mestrom uses play and participation to challenge how we experience art and urban environments. Her large-scale, playable sculptures invite hands-on engagement, blurring the line between art and everyday life while activating public spaces intellectually, physically, and imaginatively across generations. Thanks Sanne, it was a pleasure to talk to you. Sanné Mestrom Represented by Sullivan + Strumpf, Sydney Lectures at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney Australian Research Council Fellow ART/PLAY/RISK Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan Mail Join Australian abstract artist Gene A’Hern, winner of the 2025 Sir John Sulman Prize, for a laid-back conversation about colour, atmosphere and the feeling of landscape. Gene talks openly about his process, working on instinct, and what it’s like to be recognised on one of Australia’s biggest art stages. It’s an easy, thoughtful chat about memory, place and how those ideas turn into bold, expressive abstract paintings. We recorded the epiosde at the end of 2025 in his studio in Emu Plains. Thanks Gene, we loved talking to you and seeing your work in the studio! Gene is represented by Cassandra Bird in Sydney and Simchowitz Gallery, LA, USA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Artwank, we visit Bundanon to discuss the current exhibition, 'The Hidden Line The Art of the Boyd Women', with curator Sophie O’Brien. The exhibition brings attention to the women of the Boyd family (Arthur Boyd was a celebrated Australian artist, leaving his home, the Bundanon estate, to support the arts) and their role in Australian art and cultural life. While the Boyd name is often associated with male artists, this show focuses on the work, lives and influence of the women who shaped the legacy in ways that have often been overlooked. Sophie O’Brien joins us to talk through the curatorial process behind the exhibition. She reflects on how the project developed, how works and archival materials were selected, and the challenges of representing multiple generations of women across different creative practices. The conversation explores what it means to reframe established art histories and how institutions like Bundanon can open space for stories that have not always…

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re bringing you a special bonus episode of Art Wank to celebrate the graduation exhibition of our very own co-host, Fiona Verity. Fiona has been knee-deep in her studies, working tirelessly to create an incredible body of work, and you can see it on display tonight at the National Art School BFA Graduation Exhibition — Thursday, 4 December from 6pm. Get yourself down there and take in everything that’s on show. Julie spoke to Fiona about the development of her drawing practice over her three years at NAS, how it has steadied her, focused her work, and made it quieter. Fiona talks about how much she used the NAS library, especially the drawing section, where she believes she may have borrowed more books than any other student! She also reflects on the importance of peer support and peer learning at the National Art School, and how it shapes and extends your work. Fiona has dedicated her degree show to her stepmother, who passed away earlier this year. Her grief has been worked…

Send us Fan Mail Zoe Young is an Australian painter whose work spans still life, portraiture and abstraction. She studied at the National Art School in Sydney and earned her BFA in 2012. Zoe currently has a show on at Sophie Gannon Gallery in Melbourne until 13th Dec 2025. In our conversation with Zoe, she spoke openly about the unusual path she took into the art world and how that path shaped the way she works today. She described leaving the National Art School twice, once as a young student who felt unready for the demands of formal training and again when life pulled her toward the buzz of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Young grew up between Sydney, rural New South Wales and alpine-region settings, spending part of her childhood in a ski lodge on the edge of the Kosciuszko National Park. In her paintings Young often applies sculptural thinking (she studied sculpture at NAS), she sees canvas as form, composing her subjects with an awareness of planes, space, and structural balance. Her still lifes might show…

Send us Fan Mail We interviewed Harrie Fasher, sculptor and artist, at her large studio in Portland NSW in November 2025. She is a permanent artist in residence at The Foundations in Portland and has built a bronze foundry and sculpture studio over many years. She has a deep interest in animals, especially horses, and her work shows a strong understanding of their bodies and movement. Harrie spoke about her daily practice and the way she shapes each piece through drawing and metal work. Her studio holds many works in progress and shows the many stages of her process, from first sketches to full metal forms. Her role at The Foundations supports the growth of the arts site and also gives her space to pursue long term projects. The foundry allows her to cast works on site and gives her full control of each stage. She works with a small team and often teaches others about casting and metal work. Harrie described her bond with horses as central to her thinking. Her works show the frame and gesture of the animal…

Send us Fan Mail This week Art Wank met Rhonda Davis, Curator of Macquarie University Gallery, and Kon Gouriotis, curator and editor of Artist Profile magazine. They recently curated an exhibition at Macquarie Gallery titled Australian Abstraction. We spoke with them about their thinking behind the exhibition, how they chose the artists involved, and the Macqaurie university Art Collection. 'The Australian Abstraction exhibition series continues its exploration of the evolving nature of abstraction within the Australian context. This second stage retraces the diversity, episodic developments, and layered narratives that have shaped abstraction as an enduring force in Australian art. What began as an international movement has been reconfigured and transformed by artists working within the unique socio-political, cultural, and environmental conditions of this country. Sophie Cape, Julia Davis & Lisa Jones in collaboration, Helen Eager, Louise Forthun, Dale Frank, Michael Goss, Gary Gregg, Sean Hogan, Michael…

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we chat with the extraordinary Aida Tomescu, one of Australia’s most respected abstract painters. Born in Romania and based in Sydney, Aida has spent her career exploring the emotional and structural possibilities of paint, building a language that’s as physical as it is poetic. We talk about her process: the scraping, layering, and reworking that give her paintings their dense, luminous surfaces. She describes painting as a living conversation, one that demands patience, trust, and deep attention. A major theme in our discussion is the importance of form and the relationships between all the elements within a painting. For Aida, nothing sits in isolation; every shape, colour, and mark holds a relationship to the next. It’s this internal rhythm, this careful balancing of tensions, that gives her work its remarkable sense of harmony and presence. We also spoke with Aida about her teaching career, she taught at National Art School for twenty years, and several of our previous…

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Aryadharma Matheson is an artist living and working at Lennox St Studios, Sydney. He’s been a finalist in the Mosman, Waverley and Waterhouse prizes, and picked up the Richard Ford Travel Award along the way. He studied drawing at the Prince’s Drawing School in London, and later completed a Master of Fine Art at the National Art School in Sydney. This podcast is about art, Buddhism, and living with a chronic illness,multiple sclerosis, and how all those things come together in everyday life. Aaron talks about painting as a way of making sense of things, of finding stillness and meaning through colour, mark and form. We had such a great chat with Aaron — thanks so much to him for taking the time. Aaron is represented by Liverpool St Gallery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Art Wank, we focus on Australian artists Michelle Cawthorn and Peter Sharp and their recent creative residency at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Connecticut, USA. Together, they reflect on how this experience produced a new body of work and the opportunity to explore the foundations archives. During her residency at the Albers Foundation, Cawthorn immersed herself in collage of birds and particularly focussed on the work of Anni Albers. Sharp engaged directly with the legacy of Josef Albers, exploring how colour, geometry and perception can reveal new ways of seeing the landscape by painting on Albers book on colour, reinterpreting the pages for himself. Michelle Cawthorn – Bio Michelle Cawthorn is a Sydney-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in drawing and extends across collage, painting, sculpture and installation. Her work explores memory, identity and belonging through an autobiographical lens, often using repetition, pattern and sensory…

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we explore the work and world of Australian artist John R Walker, a painter who invites us to experience the land as a living and layered presence rather than just a view. Born in Sydney in 1957 and now based in Braidwood, New South Wales, Walker’s journey has taken him from city life to a deep engagement with rural environments. His art connects ecology, geology, and memory, revealing what he calls “the experience of being in country.” Walker is known for his large and immersive paintings that map the rhythms and histories of the Australian landscape. His brushwork traces erosion, fire, and growth, capturing both the slow movement of geological time and the immediate sensations of walking through a place. In his Fireground series he responded to the devastation and regeneration of bushfires, showing both the destruction and renewal that shape the land. Over more than thirty years, Walker has exhibited widely in Australia and overseas. His paintings are held in major…

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we speak with Michael Cusack, an accomplished abstract painter, educator, and co-founder of the Byron School of Art in Mullumbimby. Michael’s career has spanned over three decades, with his paintings exhibited widely across Australia and internationally. His work is represented in major public and private collections, and he is known for his richly layered abstractions that explore colour, form, and the tension between control and chance. Michael began teaching at TAFE NSW, where he developed a strong connection to art education and mentoring younger artists. In 2013, alongside fellow artists Emma Walker, James Guppy and Christine Willcocks, Michael co-founded the Byron School of Art. Based in Mullumbimby, the school has grown into a respected independent art institution in the Northern Rivers, offering a range of programs, exhibitions, and a strong sense of creative community outside of the metropolitan art centres. We talk about Michael’s journey from Ireland to Australia,…

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Art Wank Podcast we chat with Sydney-based artist Gina Bruce, known for her haunting, dreamlike paintings that play between strength and subtlety. Gina works across a variety of media, often returning to the same places to capture their changing moods and connections to identity. Her works are bold in mark-making yet beautifully delicate in atmosphere, creating that unique balance she’s become recognised for. We talk about her journey into art, including how she came to study at the National Art School and what drew her into painting in the first place. Gina shares insights into her process – starting with sketches and drawings – before approaching the canvas with quick, decisive marks that bring her ideas to life. The conversation also touches on her trip to Broken Hill. Gina talks about returning to favourite spots time and again, how place and memory become entwined, and why those themes continue to fascinate her. She has been selected for the Sulman Prize, the…

Send us Fan Mail We spoke with artists Gary Gregg and Gary Deirmendijan, together with curator and director Miguel Olmo, about Repair/Replace, the current exhibition at Gallery Lane Cove. Our conversation touched on the curatorial process, the role of found objects in art, and the unexpected significance they can hold. Gary Gregg shared insights into his collages made from studio detritus, and the ways these works sit alongside his painting practice. We also discussed pieces that Gary Deirmendjian describes as having “nil intent”, unconscious acts that make an artwork, such as a Sydney university noticeboards, layered over decades with thousands of staples and flyers, each mark a trace of countless hands. A huge thank you to Miguel, Gary G, and Gary D for joining us. Don’t miss Repair/Replace at Gallery Lane Cove. Opening tonight Weds 27th August 6-8pm at @gallerylanecove '20 August - 13 September Opening Event: 27 August 6pm - 8pm Gallery Lane Cove Repair | Replace brings together artists who confront the…

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Art Wank Podcast, we sit down with Michael Kempson, one of Australia’s leading master printers. With a career spanning over three decades, Michael has made a profound impact on the field of printmaking through his own practice as well as his work as a mentor, collaborator and educator. Michael is best known as the founder and director of Cicada Press, an educationally focused printmaking workshop based at UNSW Art and Design. Through Cicada Press, he has collaborated with hundreds of artists from Australia and overseas, fostering experimentation and innovation in print. The workshop has become a vital space where emerging and established artists can expand their practices, with Michael guiding technical expertise while encouraging creative risk taking. Alongside this collaborative work, Michael has dedicated much of his career to teaching. He was a senior lecturer at UNSW and has mentored countless students, many of whom have gone on to develop successful artistic…

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Art Wank Podcast, we talk with acclaimed Australian artist Ana Pollak, whose practice is shaped by the natural beauty and quiet rhythms of Dangar Island, her home on the Hawkesbury River. Ana’s work evokes a strong sense of place, combining close observation with an intimate emotional connection to her surroundings. Her drawings and paintings capture shifting light on water, the textures of flora and foliage, and the subtle human gestures that weave themselves into the landscape. We explore Ana’s creative journey, tracing her path from early influences to the development of her distinctive style, one that combines expressive mark-making with a keen awareness of environmental and social themes. The conversation also touches on her animation projects, which incorporate water and raindrops, and are further inspired by music. We also explore Ana’s involvement in Six Artists Seven Days On at Defiance Gallery, where she joined five other artists for an intensive week of…