Art Wank

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 h...

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 arti...

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...

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 int...

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, whil...

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,...

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 p...

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 Syd...

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 a...

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, was...

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 experie...

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...

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 i...

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 monument...

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...

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 ar...

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...

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-maki...

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...

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 fascinati...

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...

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 podca...

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...

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 Harbou...

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 Sydn...