The discussion of contemporary art often revolves around successful, wealthy artists who’ve enjoyed decades in the spotlight. As a celebration of the new and emerging talent in Australia’s art scene, here’s a list of young Australians producing new and exciting work, and who are simply put, killing it.
Ashley Ronning, Melbourne
Risograph Printing, Illustration
ashleyronning.com
@ashleyronning
Ronning’s practice is a playful exploration of everyday objects and anxieties, made with expertly rendered ink drawings in her self-published zines and posters. Her work has been featured in Mous, Frankie and The Thousands, and she also runs a Risograph publishing house called Helio Press.
Viola Nazario, Sydney
Street Art
If you’ve been hanging around Newtown lately, you might’ve come across one of Nazario’s posters. Incorporating absurdist poetry and poster design, her work has upset the traditional view of street-art by taking over spaces usually dominated by young male artists and communicating messages that are aggressively obtuse or nonsensical.
Max Berry, Sydney
Landscape Painting
Berry’s work furthers the tradition of Australian landscape painting, but with a surrealist twist. His depictions of nature, laced with vibrant colour palettes, presents a compelling new voice in Australian fine art, a dream-like view into the mysterious Australian interior. He is working on a major solo exhibition entitled ‘A Return to Slow’.
Chris Yee, Sydney
Illustration
Yee’s illustrative practice is a re-imagining of the ’90s punk aesthetic, incorporating imagery from science fiction, popular and heavy metal culture. Most recently he has worked on a number of high-profile commissions for Red Bull, Hurley, and poster designs for electronica duo, Zed’s Dead.
Jess Cochrane, Wollongong
Portraiture
jesscochrane.com
@jesscochranepaints
Cochrane has exploded into Australia’s contemporary art scene, with her larger-than-life, mixed-media portraits. Her practice contemplates the nature of beauty in popular culture, achieved by altering the photograph with the application of paint and other media.