Art Wank

Todd Hunter is an Australian contemporary artist known for his vibrant, abstract paintings that explore colour, movement, and the emotional impact of landscape and place. Working across painting and mixed media, Hunter's practice balances spontaneity with careful composition, creating works that are both energetic and contemplative. His art has been exhibited widely in Australia and is held in private and corporate collections. Through bold mark-making and a distinctive visual language, Hunter continues to contribute to Australia's contemporary art landscape. In this episode, we sit down with Todd to discuss his early career, the influence of music on his artistic practice, and his ongoing exploration of the human figure through drawing and painting. Todd Hunter is currently represented by Todd Hunter's long-time Melbourne gallery, Scott Livesey Galleries, where he regularly presents solo exhibitions and new works.He also exhibits with Fox Jensen Gallery (formerly Jensen Gallery) in Sydney.Internationally, his work has been shown through The Cat Street Gallery in Hong Kong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Fairbairn is a Zambian-born Australian artist renowned for his powerful and psychologically charged portraits. Born in 1949, he studied at the West Surrey College of Art and Design and the Royal Academy Schools in London before moving to Australia in the early 1980s. Based in Wedderburn, southwest of Sydney, Fairbairn has established himself as one of Australia's most respected contemporary draughtsmen and portrait artists. Working across drawing, painting, printmaking and mixed media, Fairbairn is best known for his monumental portrait heads that explore memory, identity and human presence. His distinctive mark-making combines delicacy and intensity, creating works that are both intimate and commanding. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Fairbairn has received numerous major awards, including the Dobell Prize for Drawing in 1999 and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2002. He has been a frequent finalist in prestigious awards including the Archibald Prize and his work is held in significant public collections such as the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. A respected educator as well as a practising artist, Fairbairn taught for many years at the National Art School in Sydney, influencing generations of emerging artists through his commitment to drawing as a vital contemporary practice.We talk about his new monograph, Paper Works, exploring the ideas, decisions and creative process behind its development. David reflects on a lifelong dedication to drawing, discussing what success means to him and how the deep interrogation of a subject continues to shape his artistic practice.David's new monograph, Paperworks, is out now through Art Ink. The book launch will be at Nanda Hobbs, Sydney, at 2pm Saturday 14th Novmeber. David's show, Proof of Identity, opens at Nanda Hobbs gallery in Sydney on 5th November 2026 and runs until 21st November 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Gary and Fiona were joined by Shanti Shea An, a Sydney-based artist whose painting practice explores the complex relationship between images, language, memory, and meaning. Drawing from an eclectic range of sources, including personal photographs, literature, art history, and mass media, Shanti creates layered works that invite viewers to slow down and consider how images are read, translated, and understood. Her paintings embrace ambiguity, bringing together disparate visual languages to reveal the instability and fluidity of interpretation. Our conversation delves into the ideas that underpin Shanti’s practice, from her fascination with repetition, doubling, and translation to the influence of philosophy and the image of the book within contemporary painting. We discuss how research and studio practice intersect in her work, the role of visual references in shaping a painting, and how uncertainty can become a productive creative tool. Shanti also reflects on exhibiting in Australia and internationally, the evolution of her visual language, and the ongoing possibilities she finds within the medium of painting. Thoughtful, generous, and deeply reflective, she offers a compelling insight into a practice that balances intellectual rigour with intuition and visual experimentation.Shanti Shea An (b. 1993) holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Painting) from the ANU School of Art & Design and completed a practice-led PhD examining concepts of doubling, legibility, and translation within painting. She has exhibited throughout Australia and internationally and is represented by Velvet Lobster Gallery in New South Wales. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 his current exhibition through a vale of Egregores and his ongoing relationship with Fox Jensen, one of Australia's leading contemporary galleries.Tomislav Nikolic lives and works in Melbourne. His work is held in major public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. He is represented by Fox Jensen in Sydney and Auckland, STATION in Melbourne, and Galeria Xavier Fiol in Spain. Fox/Jensen/McCrory Gallery, Auckland, New ZealandFox/Jensen Gallery, Sydney, AustraliaGaleria Xavier Fiol, Palma & Madrid, SpainSTATION Gallery, Melbourne, Australia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 artist based in Sydney. Born in Manila in 1990, she moved to Australia in 1999 and graduated from Sydney's College of Fine Arts in 2012. Her work draws on her experience of migration, mixed European-Asian heritage, and the contrasts between her Philippine and Australian upbringing.Known primarily for her expressive portraiture, Spirovski's paintings often combine elements of realism, abstraction and surrealism, creating psychologically charged images that explore identity, memory and human vulnerability. Her work has been exhibited throughout Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, and is held in public and private collections internationally.Spirovski has been a finalist in prestigious awards including the Archibald Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Award, Blake Prize and The Lester Prize, and has received recognition for her innovative contribution to contemporary Australian painting.She is represented by Nanda Hobbs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.