See the artworks
All finalists works are on display in our gallery until March 22. All artworks are 54 x 64 cm, framed and available for sale at $550 each. Enquire today to purchase.
Congratulations to Alpana Rai for winning the 2024 Unearthed Art Prize, and to Elysia Nagel for winning the 2024 People's Choice Award. Congratulations as well to Rebecca Matthews, who won the United Measures Craftsmanship Award, added for the first time this year!
'Whispering Melody' by Alpana Rai
Acrylic on canvas - Available
Alpana Rai, a self-taught abstract landscape artist, fuses her Indian heritage with Melbourne's art scene. Her works have been exhibiting since 2019, certified by MoMA, and represented globally. Alpana's paintings reflect emotional depth through vibrant colours, narrating an evolving journey. Inspired by contrasts, her work captures the tension between greys and yellows, infusing emotions into every stroke.
In this work, the house symbolises familiarity and abstraction, housing hidden landmarks of personal significance. Ultimately, her art celebrates creativity, harmonising structured elements with free-flowing expressions in a visually rich and emotionally resonant composition.
'Hidden Tropics' by Amber Gittins
Acrylic on canvas - Available
Amber Gittins, a 48-year-old full-time artist residing in South Australia's Limestone Coast, operates from her home studio alongside her partner and four dogs. Her passion for nature influences her art, drawing inspiration from outdoor adventures and travel experiences. Transitioning from a career in Graphic Design to pursue painting in 2019, Amber has built a strong social media presence and a growing collector base. She now seeks to expand into new markets and explore surface design, particularly with her floral art. Amber anticipates the journey ahead with excitement.
Amber has a fascination with anything tropical, and loves tropical holiday destinations. With her work 'Hidden Tropics', Amber wanted to create a little piece of the calming magic of wandering through a tropical rainforest.
'Sabine' by Angeline Baron
Mixed media on canvas - SOLD
Born into a family of artists, Angeline Baron has been a life-long creative – for her, art is synonymous with breathing. Taught at first by her father, then later taking external classes, Angeline has explored everything from etching, clay sculpture, lino-cut, life drawing, metal-working and even novel writing.
Angeline paints daily in her study, with her focus turning to portraiture as an internal musing of her own spiritual journey. This series of portraits began as a hat-tip to Gustav Klimt and his use of strong colour and gold embellishments. Within "Sabine" the soft delicate face of her subject represents the spirit of the divine feminine trapped within the gaudy hedonistic world in which she is enshrined.
'Autumn Lunch in Stockholm' by Caroline Fisher
Oil on canvas - Available
Caroline has been artistic all her life, but steered into a more academic/health career path. Although she works full time in health care as a Neuropsychologist, she still devotes many hours to her art practice, obsessively painting during her spare time. Since the start of the pandemic, she has kept up a regular art practice.
Caroline is a lover of colour, form and light, and paints many things, spanning still-life, portraiture and landscapes. This work was inspired during a recent trip to Scandinavia.
'Sinkhole' by Eylsia Nagel
Photographic print on canvas - SOLD
Elysia is passionate about exploring the complexity of nature and how it reflects and informs the human experience. She is particularly inspired by nature, emotion and the environment. Although she studied graphic design and visual arts, as well as spending much of her doing photography work, Elysia's creative pursuits became part time until 2020, when Covid reawakened her need for art and fuelled a career change. In just the last few years, Elysia works have been featured in Art Edit magazine, and have sold both locally and internationally.
For Elysia, this photograph of a tree trunk is a deep and enchanting reminder of the beauty and power of nature. With changes to the colour and orientation, she has transformed the work into a 'Sinkhole', depicting the mysterious and hidden depths of the natural world.
'Blue Sapphire Eucalyptus' by Irina Mitin
Limited edition photographic print - Available
Irina Mitin is a professional photographer and graphic designer with a passion and love for flora and nature. She specialise in many types of photography and has even won several awards for large-scale photos, although she has a particular love for the natural beauty of flowers and nature.
Irina finds botanical collections to be a fusion of great attention to the tiny details, a long-term interest in the flower world and a passion for capturing all the beautiful moments. "Blue Sapphire Eucalyptus is a fusion of native Australian flora & fauna, with unexpected finishes and details. Vibrant hues against a dramatic backdrop capture attention in a one of a kind look.
'Fairytail of New York II' by Jacqui Armstrong
Mixed media on canvas - Available
A contemporary Australian artist living in Perth, WA, Jacqui Armstrong has always shown a keen interest in the visual arts, spending much of her youth consuming art books and visiting local galleries. Having ran a small business and following the demands of child raising, it was only recently that she began to paint again. Unfiltered from any formal education, her creative process derives from instinctual responses and perceptions.
Drawn to the liberal and free-forming expression of the abstract, Jacqui conveys uniquely personal and resonating narratives. Struck by the distinct visual element of steel ladders on buildings seen in a recent trip to New York, Jacqui's aim was to capture the essence of the urban landscape through bright colours and bold brushstrokes.
'Urban Realities: No Entry' by Kate Cannard
Oil on canvas - SOLD
Originally working as an architect, then retiring for kids, Kate Cannard realised she didn't want to regret not having a crack at becoming an artist. Kate has since been studying art classes at Melbourne art school, and having success developing a typology for her art, combining her architectural background and love of Jeffrey Smart.
Her piece "Urban Realities: No Entry" unfolds against the backdrop of an often overlooked loading dock. Inviting the viewer to reflect on the seemingly mundane moments of the everyday street scene that often escape our notice amidst the demands of daily life. The two workers depicted embody the unseen forces that contribute to the smooth functioning of our daily lives.
'Once Upon a Dream' by Kathryn Dhar
Oil on canvas - Available
A Melbourne local, Kathryn Dhar is a multi-passionate person who describes herself as having an entrepreneurial spirit. She loves to travel and be inspired from nature and he experience. With a passion for art since childhood, she discovered oil painting in her teens and recently took it back up again – enjoying rediscovering and relearning the process and its capabilities.
Inspired most by vibrant, bold colour, Kathryn focuses primarily on sky and cloudscapes, loving to push the boundaries of a realistic scene into something more dreamlike or surreal.
'Jericho Jade' by Katie Thomas
Acrylic on canvas - Available
Having exhibited previously in the UK, Katie has found her artworks have changed dramatically since moving to Australia – from dark moody Welsh landscapes to sunny Australian seascapes. Living on the Northern Beaches in Sydney with her husband and 3 children, she fits painting in alongside working at a framers and a local art gallery.
With a love of the colour of the sea and the crashing waves, Katie is always striving to create a realistic painting of water, but keeping an abstract element by having a block colour of the sky. This year her mantra as an artist is “more colour” and “play".
'Light Hearted' by Lisa Kerr
Acrylic on canvas - Available
Lisa Kerr lives on the edge of 100 acres of bushland with her landscaper husband and three children. If she's not painting, she's drinking good coffee, walking, or pondering life. Having worked in graphic and landscape design, as well as taking a break to have her family, it was only in the last few years she picked up the paintbrush again. Lisa has a deep appreciation for the beauty and wonder of nature and considers it a gift to live amongst the trees.
This piece was inspired by the banksia tree outside her door, which is home to many birds and even a nest. She has interpreted the scene with rich colour and light to add a playfulness and warmth to the leaves.
'Francesca' by Luke Parry
Oil on canvas - SOLD
Luke Parry is an emerging self-taught artist, specialising in oil painting on canvas. With a primary focus in portraiture, he draws inspiration from classical techniques and the interplay of light and dark. Luke's goal is to capture a strong likeness, emphasising character and personality in his work.
Having spent early years with a passion for drawing and sketching, it was only recently that Luke overcame self-doubt and insecurity to follow the unfulfilled itch to create beautiful art once again. Re-entering the realm of art, he transitioned from sketches to exploring the nuanced world of oil painting, unravelling the magic of artistic creation. Luke loves to witness the transformative power of line and colour breathing life into personality.
'Where to Next?' by Madeleine Simson
Acrylic on canvas - SOLD
A lover of podcasts, audiobooks and pinot noir, Madeleine followed her passion for arts into a more realistic career as an illustrator and graphic designer. She has worked for Cotton On creating art graphics for t-shirts, as well as in companies like K-mart, just jeans, Jay Jays and Harris scarf. In 2016, she decided to start working for herself, and became a creative freelancer, and in October last year made the decision to focus solely on painting Since then she has been following her dream of living as an artist, and is the happiest she has ever been.
Madeleine is interested in combining the two seperate worlds or our native wild life and our suburban everyday landscape. How the the two opposites relate to each-other and interact. These interactions can be both sad and strange as well as fascinating and beautiful.
'Hot Chips' by Melinda Helbling
Oil and gold leaf on canvas - SOLD
Melinda Helbling has always been an artist, doing art classes as a child and studying fine art after school. After extensive travel and numerous businesses, she has now decided it’s time to fulfil her dreams of making a go with her art. Having learned many disciplines at St George college of fine arts, Melinda has found her passion for drawing and oil painting in particular.
A lover of all things quirky, with a larger-than-life sense of humour, Melinda loves nothing more than to make people smile. An idea which has resonated particularly through her work "Hot Chips. Living on the beach, she finds nothing more Australian than a sneaky seagull trying to steal your chips.
'C Major' by Meredith Simpson
Acrylic and vintage music collage on canvas - Available
With a passion for art, Meredith Simpson considers herself lucky to be a primary school art teacher, although she often didn't have the time to create for herself until lockdown. Since then, she has made sure to give herself the time to follow the joy of painting. Meredith is inspired by our unique Australian fauna, and has a love painting our native animals, especially our beautiful birds.
Her style has recently expanded to explore the use of collaged backgrounds and up cycling different materials to create her artwork. Inspired by a photograph by Cheryl McKellar, Meredith has used vintage music to create the collaged background of her work "C Major", and loves the combination of the music with our beautiful native pink cockatoo.
'Effervescence' by Olga Dziemidowicz
Acrylic on canvas - SOLD
A full-time artist entrepreneur, Olga Dziemidowicz creates artwork that focuses on the positive side of life. Having always painted growing up in Poland, she decided on the 'practical path' and got a Masters in Architecture and urban planning. Olga lived in Berlin for two years, then moved to Melbourne in 2013, where she quit architecture to do design and innovation in the corporate space. Following the strong call for art, she became a full time artist in 2021 and is becoming more and more prolific, recently having her second solo show and exhibiting at her second art fair.
Olga uses a lot of colour in her work, with fluorescent pink becoming a signature colour. This work is inspired by freedom and energy, particles, atoms, cosmos and the universe. Joy of colour and life.
'Summer Storm' by Rebecca Matthews
Wool Needle Felting - Available
Having been a kindergarten teacher for 15 years, Rebecca is currently a child and family support worker in disability. A self taught fibre artist with mixed media foundations, she has a passion for the Australian landscape and the intensity of colours found in our country. She creates to express understanding of the world around her and loves to learn and mix materials and ideas together.
Having travelled significantly overseas, Rebecca finds nothing beats the intensity, shapes and bite of the Australian landscape. This piece is inspired by the storms that roll in during those hot summer evenings within the Gippsland region.
'A Love That Knows No Bounds' by Sarah Lugton
Mixed media on canvas - SOLD
Creating from her studio in Williamstown North, Sarah originally moved to Melbourne after winning the Kaiserman Prize, taking up a year's residency working in their business in Chapel street, before creating her own jewellery label in 2007. She has completed a Masters in teaching, and spent a decade in primary school classrooms. Throughout this time she has always painted instinctively, as a meditative practice outside of her work life.
As a self-taught painter, her compositions use shape, line, colour, texture and value to create a visual language that conveys emotion and meaning. This piece was inspired by a long friendship with the group of women Sarah grew up with, encapsulating the unwavering love felt for each other.
'Padma' by Shruti Gupta
Mixed media on canvas - SOLD
A visual artist who loves to work with mixed media, Shruti Gupta creates layered works that gradually add texture and colour to create a memory. Having worked as a visual artist for the past 15 years, Shruti has participated in various art shows around India and Singapore before moving to Australia in 2020.
This work "Padma' depicts the lotus flower that symbolises the inner self, the connection with ones' soul and spiritual awakening.
'Riding Inside the Whale' by Sophie Farquhar
Acrylic on canvas - Available
A surfer and painter, the influenced of the ocean is apparent in the forms that reside within Sophie Farquhar's work. Mostly a self taught artist, Sophie has studied Abstraction at the Byron School of art and recently taken private abstract painting lessons.
She aims not to depict anything specific, but for the viewer to discover their own story...and for the story to unfold further over time as more ideas emerge from the layers of colour.
'Poire Blanche' by Stefana Kachirski
Acrylic on canvas - SOLD
Originally from California and now living in South Australia, Stefana enjoys painting, spending time with family and friends and spending time at the beautiful South Australian beaches. She has been painting as a hobby for many years, but only recently decided to start selling her work, and begin her journey as a professional artist.
She is inspired by the natural environment and wherever she is in her life’s journey – whether it be joy, sadness, peace, chaos or happiness. This painting is inspired by simple and classic Parisian style that work well in most modern or classic interiors. Pears are a symbol of abundance and fertility - a fruit with a beautiful shape.
'Dreamer's Path' by Tessa Marie Bartholomew
Acrylic on canvas - Available
Tessa has always had a flair for creativity, expressing herself both through music on the violin, and then through visual mediums in Graphic design, Visual Merchandising and 3D design. Working for many years in the corporate events scene, in 2020 a health scare marked a pivotal moment and profound realisation: the need to slow down and prioritise her well-being.
An intuitive abstract / landscape artist, Tessa's work "Dreamer’s Path" draws its inspiration from the Botanical Gardens that lie just a stone's throw from her home studio in the Adelaide Hills. It's a place where she often loses herself in daydreams, strolling through the gardens and winding paths, captivated by their beauty.
'Fetal' by Tyron Tran
Acrylic on canvas - Available
A multidisciplinary artist based in Melbourne, Tyron's practice spans across many different art forms – from painting and drawing, to graphic design and filmmaking. He focuses heavily on the human experience and connection, capturing moments in time and the emotions felt during those times.
"Fetal" is an abstraction of human emotion. The idea of how one's emotion cannot be felt by another, and the exploration of how a series emotions can be found through one image, different to each person. Tyron asks the question, "when you see this piece, do you feel calm? at peace? comfortable? stressed? claustrophobic? alienated? confused? sad? empathetic?"
'Deconstructed Blooms' by Vanessa Ferriggi
Acrylic on canvas - Available
Vanessa sees herself as a positive, effervescent and driven person. Since being a finalist in the 2022 Unearthed Art Prize, Vanessa's work has been progressing in leaps and bounds, and she feels she has come into herself, ready to paint from within. A contemporary expressive artist, Vanessa is self taught, having begun painting in the first Covid lockdown. Passionate and prolific with her art, though there have been ups and downs she would trade her art journey for anything.
Vanessa inspiration from contemporary interiors and interior design drives her painting, often paired with the elegance, yet simplicity of flowers. This piece reflects the intersection of abstract and botanical, with deconstruction seen in loose florals, abstractly placed on the canvas.
'Somebody That I Used to Know' by Vanessa Maver
Acrylic on canvas - Available
Working full time in brand and marketing for 7-Eleven as a packaging design lead, Vanessa Maver's escape from her busy career has always been painting. Although she studied art and design when young, it was only a few years ago that Vanessa began to create more often, before she knew it she was showing her work online, and felt that she was finally doing the thing she was meant to be doing all along.
This piece captures moments with found pottery, and fabrics and creating scenes of calmness and serenity. A refuge from the everyday craziness of life, Vanessa’s paintings are an escape to the ordinary. Peppered with items collected over time, passed down from family members, a gift from a friend, a plant nurtured by her mum. A way to celebrate the everyday moments of life and remind us that there is beauty in small things.
'Beautiful Morning' by Vanessa Wallace
Acrylic on canvas - SOLD
A Brisbane based still-life artist, Vanessa Wallace is inspired by the haphazard nature of domestic beauty. Having worked in the arts industry for close to 30 years, she has crossed fields from graphic design, to teaching to creating ceramics – with a passion for the vessel and its curves and surface decoration. During Covid, Vanessa revelled in the time for art-making, beginning painting the beautiful pots and wares within her home.
Vanessa loves to arrange her belongings into moody tableaux with a clash of colour and pattern, or imagine beautiful juxtapositions. "Beautiful Morning" captures the warmth of summer lighting on a dressed table-top, where glossy fresh lemons contrast with the rosy glow of Waratahs. To Vanessa this painting sings of the possibilities of the day ahead, and the beauty of the everyday we often take advantage of.