7 Emerging Australian Artists You Need To Know
There are certain artists whose work is difficult to look away from and that’s pretty much the basis of what I think makes them good.
In particular, there is a special place reserved for emerging artists, pushing beautiful pieces out in the world, not yet tainted by the commentary and hard slog surely ahead of them. To be an artist is to bare a part of your soul to the world and at the start of your career that can be a wildly scary and intoxicating thing. Here is a list of recent upcoming artists who fit that bill who I’ve had my eye on recently.
Billy Gibney
Billy Gibney is an Australian artist based in Melbourne. Gibney’s work is considered realism but when you look up close, subtle disruptions and layers are revealed, just like a good magazine. His recent works are moody and slightly gothic, which we are big fans of. If ‘Pulp Fiction’ was a piece of art, I reckon this would be it.
Max Ballard
If I could describe Max Ballard’s work, it would be nostalgic. And nostalgia is a beautiful thing. The kind that makes you miss living in sharehouses eating your dinner on the floor because you couldn’t afford furniture yet, working three jobs while managing a never-ending anxiety that you won’t figure it out ever. Yeah that’s what Max makes me miss. Hailing from South Australia, Max’s work explores the way we perceive everyday spaces, and how these perceptions are influenced by familiarity and memory. It might just be a pile of dishes in a sink, but somehow Max makes it god damn beautiful.
Max Ballard: I almost set fire to the curtains with a stick of incense, but the dishes are done
Chantel de Latour
Chantel de Latour's work captures the atmospheres of particular places inhabited, visited and remembered. Her work, often framed with windows, invites us to linger a little longer in hues of nature. If there were a piece to remind us to stop and take in the view, de Latour’s would be my pick.
Cassie Anne Woods
Guided by her Elders and supported through the APY Art Centre Collective, Cassie Anne is a First Nation artist carrying and sharing Anangu knowledge through her art. Developing her skills under the renowned artist Marinka Baker, the techniques and totems she uses are prominent from the region of her people, being the Central Western bloc in Australia.
Nicci Bedson
The first Nicci Bedson piece I saw was the one inside Ciro’s Pizza in Wollongong, who had commissioned the piece to capture the iconic Thirroul corner, sitting beautifully under the escarpment. And boy is it a piece. Nicci’s works focus mostly on suburban landscapes, notably around the Wollongong region. If you are a fan of Australian architecture, then you’ll be a fan of Nicci’s work.
Mary Barton
Characterised by gestural marks and high contrasts, Mary Barton’s work is a kaleidoscope of colour bound to brighten any space or day. She undertook a residency in Mumbai, India in 2019, studied art in New York and now lives in the Northern Territory and notes her environment as a large inspiration for her works, which is seen throughout her pieces.
Aaron Fell-Fracasso
Aaron Fell-Fracasso process involves rendering, scraping, and concealing layers of paint to create tactile pieces that are visually stunning as they are soothing. The kind of painting where you will always find something new within it.
