Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 23 Yvette Coppersmith

Yvette Coppersmith stands as one of Australia's most distinctive contemporary artists.

Her career has been marked by a profound exploration of portraiture, identity, and the human condition. She has challenged traditional boundaries between painting and photography while examining themes of gender, representation, and psychological depth.

She graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts and won the inaugural Metro Prize in 2003 and has previously been selected as a finalist in the Darling Portrait Prize, Arthur Guy Memorial Award, Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the Portia Geach Memorial Award.

And, in 2018, after multiple Archibald finalist hangings, she became the 10th woman to win the Archibald Prize for her painting Self Portrait, after George Lambert.

It’s been said that her sophisticated exploration of portraiture has contributed to a renewed interest in this traditional genre. I can vouch for the fact that it has had that effect on me.

It was a fascinating discussion where we spoke about her amazing portrait of Gillian Triggs which (somehow) didn’t win the Archibald and, of course, her self-portrait the following year, which did! We talked about her fascinating process and how she creates these portraits that seem to me to go well beyond the surface image.

Her work is held in numerous public and private collections and she is represented in Australia by Sullivan + Strumpf.

Head to the link in my bio to hear this podcast conversation.

Images

1. YC. Supplied by artist. Taken at Hong Kong Art Basel, 'Heirloom' solo show

2. Yvette Coppersmith Self-portrait, after George Lambert (winner Archibald prize 2018) oil and acrylic on linen 132 x 112 cm

3. John Safran (Archibald finalist 2009) oil and acrylic on plywood 120 x 180 cm

4. Professor Gillian Triggs (Archibald finalist 2017) oil on linen 137.5 x 110 cm

5. Banded Field, 2022, Oil on jute, 99cm x 122cm, Finalist Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize

6. Self-portrait with Egret, 2018 Oil on linen 107 × 87 cm

Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 22

Belinda Fox

Belinda stands as one of Australia's most accomplished contemporary multidisciplinary artists, whose work traverses the boundaries between printmaking, painting, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, and glass.

It's a lovely wide ranging discussion covering her career as a master printer collaborating with the likes of John Olsen and Tim Storrier and their generosity which is an integral part of who she is as well, her decision to change her career path from facilitating the vision of others' to developing and expressing your own artistic voice, her growing international presence and the incredible value of residencies both in Australia and overseas and how she got the best out of them.

Her journey is really quite a remarkable evolution from dedicated student to internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist.

Her career was built on technical mastery and thrives on collaborative experiences and an unwavering commitment to exploring the complexities of contemporary human existence.

She has received a number of awards including the Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Award, Paul Guest Drawing Prize and Burnie Print Prize and been a finalist in many other awards.

We are having this conversation in her fabulous Melbourne studio.

Belinda is represented by @arthousegallery and @australiangalleries and Maybaum Gallery, CA, USA. www.maybaumgallery.com (@maybaumgallery)

The images are a sneak preview of Belinda's upcoming exhibition, Tipping the Scales (her fifth solo exhibition with Maybaum Gallery in San Francisco). They presenting a new body of paintings that explores growth and the restorative energy of nature in a time of deep uncertainty. In a world marked by conflict, displacement, and environmental crisis, these works offer a quiet resistance—an intentional act of optimism. They seek to tip the scales toward compassion, healing, and a sense of renewal.

Created using layering of watercolour, ink, pen, collage, spray acrylic, and encaustic wax

Images 1-4: Pia Johnson; 5-8: Andrew Curtis

Australian Women Artists

The Podcast

Ep. 21 June Tupicoff

June Tupicoff has been described as "one of Australia’s very best artists” and "the great Australian painter you’ve probably never heard of".

June is a Brisbane based artist whose work focuses on an inherent interest in the Australian landscape.

She actually grew up in the lush, rural environment of Victoria, and, I dare say as a direct result, developed an early sensitivity to the Australian landscape—a theme that evolved and matured with her move to Qld.

By the 1970s, she had begun to establish herself as an artist, initially working primarily in abstraction. Eventually her artistic focus began to shift from pure abstraction to a more overt engagement with the Australian landscape in particular the unique ecosystems of coastal south-east Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales.

Her paintings and pastel drawings are notable for their sensitive rendering of light, colour, and form, and her work has been described as demonstrating, ‘a deepening commitment to environmental observation and a nuanced understanding of place.’

Head to the link in my bio to hear about 'the great Australian painter you’ve probably never have heard of’.

June is represented by @philipbacongalleries

Images:Pale skyline, 2022

pastel on Sennelier card, 50 x 65 cm

Grass trees, 2022
pastel on Sennelier card
50 x 65cm

Spanning the slope, 2022
pastel on Sennelier card, 50 x 65 cm
Lilac sent downwind, 2024
pastel on Mi-Teintes paper, 52 x 72 cm
Sun-bleached fen, 2024
oil on linen, 138 x 184 cm

Australian Women Artists

The Podcast

Ep. 20. Louisa Chircop

Louisa stands as a compelling figure in contemporary Australian art.

Her work transcends geographical boundaries while exploring the intricate connections between identity, memory, and cultural heritage. She has established herself as a versatile artist working primarily in mixed media, photomontage, collage, and painting, creating works that speak to both personal and collective experiences of displacement, belonging, and the search for meaning in an increasingly fragmented world.

She is the daughter of Maltese Australian parents, and her formative years were shaped by the complex legacy of her grandparents, who left Malta after WWII. And that influence would remain part of her art to this day.

Throughout her career, Louisa has received numerous accolades and significant recognition including winning the James Gleeson Prize for Surrealism twice and her work has been acquired for the Kedumba Collection, one of Australia’s most highly regarded public collections of contemporary drawing. She has been a finalist in the Dobell Prize for Drawing, the Portia Geach Memorial Award, the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize, and the Hazelhurst National Art on Paper Prize amongst many others.

Her most ambitious and historically significant project, "Grotto Girl," is currently showing in Malta. It seems to me to represent the culmination of her artistic journey and her most profound engagement with her Maltese heritage.

We’re having this conversation between Sydney and Malta

Images

1. LC by Henry Zammit Cordina

2. Whiteley paints Rembrandt then I paint Whiteley and Rembrandt, 2019,mixed media and photomontage on Arches 76x56

3. Bath Blues after Whiteley 2019 mixed media ad photomontage on Arches 76x56

4. Self as water feature 2020 mixed media and photomontage on watercolour paper 103x66

5. Beneath the Paper Rain, mixed media and photomontage on hand painted archival pigment print on cotton rag, 173x130

6. The installation on the 450 year old well in the central courtyard

Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 18

Ann Thomson

Ann Thomson stands as one of Australia’s most eminent contemporary painters and sculptors.

Her early passion for art was fostered by influential art figures in Brisbane and in 1957, she relocated to Sydney to pursue formal studies. Her paintings are celebrated for their vibrant, expressive compositions and their ability to evoke a sense of place without resorting to literal representation. Her style is marked by bold brushwork, dynamic colour relationships, and, as a curator described it, ‘a refusal to allow any element to recede passively into the background’.

Another hallmark of Ann’s work is her ability to oscillate between abstraction and landscape, often within the same piece. Although the term ‘abstraction’ doesn’t necessarily resonate with her.

Over the course of her career, Ann has received numerous accolades. In addition to the Wynne Prize, she has been awarded the Sydney Morning Herald Art Prize, the Kedumba Drawing Prize, the Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, and the Tattersall’s Art Prize in Brisbane.

Her legacy is evident not only in her own prolific output but also in the generations of artists she has influenced and inspired. As she continues to paint and exhibit well into her ninth decade, Ann Thomson remains a vital force in contemporary art, her work a testament to the enduring power of creativity and the endless possibilities of abstraction

We are having this conversation in Ann’s fabulous Sydney studio.

Head to the link in my bio to hear our conversation

Australian Women Artists

The Podcast

Ep. 17. Janet Laurence

Janet Laurence is a leading Sydney based artist who exhibits nationally and internationally.

For four decades, she has captivated audiences with her multidisciplinary practice spanning photography, sculpture, installation, and video. Her work is a profound expression of her deep concern for the environment, ethics, and the intricate interconnectedness of all living things.

She employs a diverse range of natural materials, including living plant matter, minerals, and oxides. Underlying themes of alchemical transformation, history, and perception weave through her evocative installations.

She is known for her immersive environments and significant public artworks, often created in collaboration with architects, scientists, and environmentalists. She is an expert at translating scientific concepts into an artistic visual experience. Her work often explores fragility and loss but balances these themes with hope and empathy.

Janet invites viewers to forge a deeper, more experiential relationship with the natural world. Her works are both visually stunning and deeply thought-provoking, making her a vital voice in contemporary artistic discourse.

She has represented Australia at international exhibitions including the 1997 Venice Biennale and has participated in major exhibitions in Europe, Asia, and North America.

We had this conversation in her Sydney studio (shared with some pretty noisy engineers upstairs that you may hear) and she was about to leave for Berlin to set up her new exhibition.

Head to the link in my bio to listen to our conversation.

Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 16 Emma Coulter

Emma is a leading figure in contemporary Australian art, renowned for her bold explorations of colour, space, and perception.

Her practice spans painting, sculpture, site-specific installation, and large-scale public art, consistently pushing the boundaries of how art interacts with its environment and audience.

You may have seen her work that wraps around the Metro Tunnel’s building façade in central Melbourne spanning more than 100 metres. In fact, she has completed over 30 site-specific installations, including more than 10 major public art commissions.

One of the most defining features of Emma’s art is her use of colour. She works with a carefully curated palette of pre-mixed, commercially produced paints through which she aims to evoke an immediate, visceral response in viewers. As a result, her art is instantly recognisable through that vibrant colour, geometric clarity, and spatial ambition.

Emma is a regular finalist in Australia’s top art prizes and has received a steady stream of awards and grants. She has exhibited widely, both nationally and internationally. Since her first solo show in 2005, she has participated in numerous institutional, commercial, and artist-run exhibitions, with highlights including installations in New York and Germany.

Her current exhibition, 'superimposition' is at James Makin Gallery in Melbourne until 24 May. So quick sticks if you want to see it.

www.emmacoulter.com.au

www.jamesmakingallery.com

Instagram images:

1. Emma Coulter. Image from our conversation (supplied by artist) (you can see why I thought she had designed her own dress!)

2. and 3. spatial deconstruction #23 (resilience), 2021 to 2023 synthetic polymer paint on precast façade 120 metres long x 7 metres height (wraps Swanston St and Flinders Lane facades)

4. spatial deconstruction #15 (gemstone with fireplace), 2016 synthetic polymer paint on wall, floor and architrave, existing fireplace. 280h x 350l x 100d (winner 2016 Linden Art Prize)

5. let them feel the light, 2023 painted aluminium, coloured glass and LED panels. 12 metres H x 10 metres W and variable depth ranging from 150 to 300cm total length climbing up over 25 metres wrapped around curved brick wall with integrated steel fixings.

6. Hybrid models for the future, 2024 synthetic polymer paint on linen 167x167x3.2cm