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Steve Lopes 

“I try to deal with the figure and the landscape together. For me, it’s about the relationship we have with our surrounds. The tension
between the two both visually and metaphorically is what makes it
interesting to tackle as a subject.”   Steve Lopes 

Born in Sydney, Lopes trained in both Australia and the UK, refining a unique visual language that blends elements of traditional landscape painting with an expressive, contemporary edge. His work is often informed by extensive field studies and travel, particularly to remote locations. He sketches and paints en plein air, later developing large-scale studio works that evoke memory, movement, and human connection to the land.

Lopes’ compositions have a cinematic quality—his figures, often rendered in thick, impasto brushstrokes, appear caught in fleeting, introspective moments. His work is deeply influenced by history, migration, and the changing nature of identity, making his paintings both personal and universally resonant.

A highly regarded artist, Lopes has exhibited widely in Australia and internationally. His work is held in major public and private collections, and he has been a finalist in prestigious art prizes, including the Archibald and Wynne Prizes.

Join us as we discuss Lopes’ artistic journey, his approach to storytelling through paint, and the influences that have shaped his dynamic practice.

Thanks for talking to us, Steve. 

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We interviewed artist Justin Williams at COMA Gallery in Marrickville, Sydney, during his solo show, Waiting for Lavender, on until 22nd February 2025.

Justin lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico, splitting his time between there and a studio in Paris. We had a great conversation about his journey as an artist, including his early years working in New York. His work is narrative-driven, deeply personal, and rooted in family histories, with multiple stories overlapping within a single painting. He employs a belt sander to disrupt the surface after painting, allowing him to push and pull layers, creating unexpected textures and depth.

Thanks for talking to us, Justin, we look forward to watching your career flourish. 

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Myfanwy Gullifer is represented by King Street Gallery in Sydney. 

We had a great time chatting with Myf over Zoom before Christmas while she was at her farm in Walcha, NSW. We discussed her ceramic art practice, the challenges of being an artist, balancing life between the farm and the city, and much more.

Thanks Myf. Her show will be later in 2025 at King St. Gallery. 

'Myfanwy Gullifer graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne.

Myfanwy’s upcoming 2025 solo exhibition at King Street Gallery on William will showcase a new series of porcelain works. 
Please register your interest at [email protected] for a preview.

Her work has been exhibited at the Melbourne Art Fair, the Korean International Art Fair and various regional gallery shows such as Interconnected at New England Regional Art Museum, 2022; Paint my place at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, 2016; and In [two] Art at Maitland Regional Gallery, 2012, which toured across New South Wales.

In 2019, Myfanwy was a finalist in Still: National Still Life Award at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, and in 2016, the same gallery awarded her the Artist in Residence at Moonee Beach.

Her work can be found in various public and private collections from across Australia, such as the New England Regional Art Gallery, Tamworth Regional Gallery, the Laverty Collection and the Open-Air Gallery, Walcha, where she lives and works. Notably, in 2010, Newcastle Art Gallery acquired two of her sculptures on behalf of the Les Renfrew Bequest, which were subsequently exhibited in Clash: Contemporary Sculptural Ceramics at Newcastle Art Gallery.

King Street Gallery has represented Myfanwy since 2012.' King Street Gallery

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Before Christmas 2024, we had the pleasure of speaking with Nick Smith at his N.Smith Gallery, located at 15 Foster St, Surry Hills, Sydney. Nick is an engaging conversationalist and clearly passionate about his work. He established the gallery in 2021, and it has since grown into one of Sydney's most respected and celebrated art spaces. During our chat, Nick shared his journey in the art world, which began with a role at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., followed by experience working in contemporary galleries before finally opening his own. It's been an incredible and ongoing adventure! 

'N.Smith Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in Sydney, Australia, that currently represents more than 20 artists and collectives, offering curatorial, collection, and management service advice to museums, corporate, foundations and private clients.

The gallery has been home to culturally-significant exhibitions across a variety of media and genres, and has facilitated and participated in projects across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, India, Germany, France, UK, and the USA.

In 2021, N.Smith opened the eponymous gallery on Napier Street, Paddington in a former church community hall. In 2024, during the opening week of the Biennale of Sydney, Smith relocated the gallery from Paddington to the vibrant Surry Hills, expanding the gallery’s footprint and ambition.

Dedicated to living artists, the gallery has and is fostering the careers of some of the most influential artists working today, and plans to maintain long-term representation of the artists we work with.

Supporting culture is at the heart of what we do. Beyond the walls of the gallery we support various arts organisations to achieve their mission, including visual arts, music, theatre,  film, and publishing. 

N.Smith Gallery is a proud member of the Indigenous Art Code of Conduct.'

N.Smith Gallery 

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Gary discovered the Alveston Gallery in Notting Hill, London, during his travels and was drawn to the work of Teddy Hansen, who was exhibiting at the time. After a conversation with Fergus Downey, the gallery owner, Gary arranged a Zoom meeting with Teddy to learn more about his practice.

We’re releasing this podcast just ahead of the London Art Fair, where the Alveston Gallery will be showcasing Teddy’s work.

In our conversation, Teddy shared insights into the influence of Danish culture on his art, his experiences as a young artist in London, and his exciting plans for the future.

'Teddy Hansen’s comically surreal wall-hangings celebrate the power of escapist art. Inspiring laughter and perplexity, he infuses natural imagery with absurd narrative to convey a wild sense of humour and a rampant obsession with frogs.

Having studied at Falmouth and Leeds University, Hansen began his artistic journey with painting and embroidery before developing into the realm of rug-tufting. During the creation process, each piece follows a dream-like narrative which becomes increasingly complex as the work unfolds. Ultimately, it is this sense of unpredictability that fuels Hansen’s vision, culminating in an immersive and arresting aesthetic.

Above all, Hansen strives to emphasise the importance of humour and experimentation by encouraging audiences to take his rugs at face value. Instead of inspiring any kind of hidden notions, they are designed with the sole purpose of evoking joyful escapism.' - Alveston Gallery

Thanks for the chat, Teddy! We wish you all the best in your future.

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Nasim Nasr is an Iranian-born Australian artist whose work focuses on the issues facing her home country of Iran and the challenges she has experienced as a woman and female artist. These circumstances ultimately led her to leave Iran at the age of 25. Nasim relocated to Australia with her younger siblings, where she has built a life for herself and her family while establishing herself as a prominent artist.

Working across photography, installation, and performance, Nasim has gained significant recognition, with her works recently acquired by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. We had the pleasure of speaking with Nasim about her life journey and her beautiful, thought-provoking art. Enjoy listening to her story, and feel free to reach out to Nasim to see her work or for a studio visit. 

'Biography:

Born in Tehran, Iran 1984

Moved to Adelaide, Australia 2009,  
Currently lives and works in Sydney

Since graduating with a Master Visual Arts (Research), University South Australia, 2011, Nasim Nasr’s art practice has sought to comment upon the transience of cultural identities. With an interest in cultural relationships in contemporary society, her artworks have engaged themes of intercultural dialogue and perspective between the historical and contemporary. Using video, photography, performance,  3D objects and sound, these works highlight notions of cultural difference as experienced in her past and present homelands, between West and East and seeks to create a harmony between the two.

Nasim Nasr is a third time finalist at Fisher’s Ghost Art Award and will exhibit at Campbelltown Art Centre Oct-Dec 2024 with her new light box; Impulse 2024, In March 2024 Nasr won AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY ARTIST OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD from the Art’s Minister Tony Burke and Shadow Art Minister Paul Fletcher at the Paliment House, Canberra. Nasr's latest video work ‘Impulse’ was presented at the 2023 Adelaide Independent Film Festival where it won the best Micro Short Film Award, and was in the official selection at the 2023 A Shaded View on Fashion Film Festival Awards in Paris. 

In 2017 Nasr won People’s Choice Award in The William and Winifred Bowness Photography Art Prize, Monash Art Gallery Melbourne, and her Women in Shadow II video documentation won an award at the 10th Anniversary Edition, A Shaded View on Fashion Film, Maison Jean Paul Gaultier and Club De L’Etoile, Paris, France in 2018. Nasr exhibited in the inaugural Triennial of Asia: We Do Not Dream Alone, Asia Society Museum in New York, October 2020–June 2021, her latest solo presentation Impulse at Mars Gallery, Melbourne March-April 2023. She exhibited at Photo London, Somerset House, London in May 2023. Nasr’s latest photograph Impulse (2023) was reproduced on the front cover of ART COLLECTOR magazine in Australia, issue 104 included 8pp profile story on her practice.'

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Gary first met Wayne and Marina through artist and previous podcast guest Tony Mighell. We spoke to them over zoom a few weeks ago from their home in Melbourne. Thanks for speaking to us about your artwork and time in the art centres near Alice Springs.

Wayne Eager is represented by Australian Galleries - 'Wayne Eager is a gestural artist, absorbed with form, colour and texture. His method is based on the accretion of subsequent layers from which his paintings find their form. He was a founding member of the dynamic artist-run-exhibiting space, Roar Studios, in Fitzroy, Melbourne, the first such venture in Australia. His early works were exhibited there in 1982.

Eager has spent much of his career living and working in the remote Central Australian Desert. His experience of the light and unique features of the Northern Territory landscape have been the fundamental foundation to his oeuvre over the last 30 years.

In 2021, Eager relocated back to semi-rural life in the Yarra Valley, Victoria. In the same year, the artist was honored by a 30-year survey exhibition, ‘Bitumen and Dirt’, which opened at the Charles Darwin University Gallery, Darwin, and then travelled to the Araluen Art Centre in Alice Springs.'

Marina Strocchi is also represented by Australian Galleries - 
'In 2021 Marina Strocchi returned to her home town Melbourne after a twenty-nine year sojourn in the Northern Territory. Strocchi was closely involved in supporting the development of a number of First Nations artists, initially through establishing the Ikuntji Art Centre in 1992 and then working with the Kintore women to catalyse their painting which led to a vigorous output through Papunya Tula. During these decades she developed her painting responses to the remote landscapes and narratives that are unique to the Central Desert. Strocchi has held over forty solo exhibitions including a Northern Territory touring survey exhibition with an accompanying catalogue. Awarded an ARTS NT Fellowship in 2019 Strocchi had a three month residency in New York City. Now settled in the Yarra Valley Strocchi is responding to memories of that experience and absorbing her new environment.

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Thank you to Max and Gabby Germanos, art collectors and founders of 333 Art Projects, for welcoming us into your home to view your incredible collection and share insights about art collecting. From their first purchase to navigating the journey of collecting as a couple and curating a collection suited to a family, Max and Gabby offered a fascinating perspective. They discussed the thought process behind choosing which artworks to acquire, how collecting has shaped their family dynamic, and their deep commitment to certain artists—owning over 50 paintings by Maclean Edwards, for instance.

3:33 ART PROJECTS IS A LEADING & INNOVATIVE CORPORATE CURATORIAL DEVELOPER AND FACILITATOR 

'3:33 Art Projects delivers unique visual arts programs for leading visual artists in Australia. Our purpose is to introduce the visual arts to new audiences, allowing artists to share their stories to encourage audiences to open their minds to the magic of art and explore creativity in their day-to-day.

3:33 Art Projects has curated shows for some of Australia's most celebrated artists including: John Olsen, Chris O’Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa), Ken Done, David Griggs, Gary Heery, Ann Thomson, Lottie Consalvo, Ken Whisson, Joanna Braithwaite, Euan MacLeod, Noel McKenna, Neil Frazer, Lucy Culliton, Alan Jones, Ben Quilty, McLean Edwards, Guy Maestri, Dale Frank, Tim Maguire, Jasper Knight, Joan Ross, Wendy Sharpe and Clara Adolphs.  

Clients include Bank of America, Clayton Utz, Aon, Herbert Smith Freehills and Commonwealth Bank Private.

We have also created the 3:33 Art Projects Young Curators program, working with artists and secondary students to host exhibitions at their school - teaching future generations about  creative processes.'

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Today's podcast features James Winter, the visionary co-founder and director of Brand X, which has been creating affordable spaces for artists since 2005. With a background in dramatic and performing arts, James recognized a need for reliable, affordable rehearsal and creative spaces, leading him to establish Brand X over 20 years ago.

We spoke with James about the changing face of Sydney and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on artists. He shared why he founded Brand X, how it operates, and his concerns about the lack of diverse arts programming in the city. James highlighted how this gap could lead to fewer opportunities for unique, high-quality art to be created and showcased in Sydney, ultimately affecting the city’s cultural landscape. 

Brand X now manages the City of Sydney Creative Studios, offering a wide range of subsidised spaces for musicians, dancers, actors, and artists, available for both short-term and long-term hire in the heart of Sydney. Each year, Brand X also organizes Petite Suite, a performance residency set in a hotel. Fiona and I attended this year, and it was an incredible experience!

Currently running is The Flying Nun, another Brand X initiative, which we highly recommend. For just $25, you can see these unique performances. The Flying Nun provides performing arts residencies where each project receives $2,600, a week in the venue, and a two-night performance run, keeping the majority of box office revenue. Grab your tickets here!

 
Brand x -
We re-purpose empty properties so performing, recording and visual artists can practice their craft.

'We do this by working with Property Developers, Landlords and Local Governments to transform empty spaces into cultural places that allow artists to contribute, flourish and be sustainable in the community. We are driven by the belief that artists, when given appropriate space, inspire a renewed sense of belonging, harmony and pride of place for the entire community.

Brand X provides subsidised workspace and creative development programs alongside facilities for hire where artists can traverse the entire creative process from development to presentation. We maintain a charter that is relevant and responsive to the Independent Arts sector dealing specifically with arts-practice sustainability, skills development and capacity building.

Our objective is to afford artists the opportunity to take risks, innovate and to create work. This is achieved by offering artists affordable rates for hire, residencies and opportunities for income-generation through our activation projects. By providing Independent Artists with support while reinvigorating local communities we stimulate a vibrant cultural life for Sydney.'

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Thank you to artist Tom Carment for speaking with us on Art Wank! We visited Tom at his home in Sydney and talked about his long career as an artist. He predominantly paints outdoors, carrying a backpack filled with supplies and capturing interesting sights along the way—whether it's a jacaranda tree, rooftops, or a unique view. His work is like a visual diary, immediate and in the moment. When he paints at home, he often focuses on the everyday, like typewriters, eggs, and vegetables—anything at hand.

Tom is also a prolific and gifted writer so check out his website to read some of his works. 

He is represented by King Street Gallery in Sydney. 

'Tom Carment was born in Sydney in 1954. He studied for one year at Julian Ashton Art School in 1973. Tom is a painter of landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, and is also a writer. His pictures have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions since the 1970s, and his stories and essays have been published nationally. During the 1980s, he lived overseas for four years in Africa (Zimbabwe and Zambia) and in France, returning to Sydney in 1988.

Tom has been represented by King Street Gallery since 1993. With his most recent solo exhibition ‘The Long Way Round’ in October 2023.

Tom’s portraits have been selected for the Archibald Prize twelve times, and his landscapes for the Wynne Prize eight times. His works are held by the Art Gallery of NSW, City of Melbourne Art & Heritage Collection, NSW State Parliament, State Library of NSW, Kedumba Drawing Collection, Macquarie Group Collection and many others.

Tom was the winner of the 2014 NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, the 2008 Gallipoli Art Prize and the 2005 Mosman Art Prize. Over one hundred of Tom’s works were shown at the 2014 Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the Art Gallery of NSW. In 2008 the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery held a survey of his work entitled, People, Paddocks, Coastlines.

From 2004-06 Tom worked on a commission for the City of Melbourne to document in words, paintings and drawings the construction of Council House 2 – the ‘greenest’ office building in Australia.

Tom’s work is a reportage on his life – the external environment through his landscapes, the internal environment and friendships through his still lifes and portraits. Tom’s pictures are usually small in scale and notable for their sensitive interpretation of light. Nearly all of his works are painted and drawn from life.

Tom’s published books include Days and Nights in Africa (1985), Seven Walks – Cape Leeuwin to Bundeena (2014) and Womerah Lane – Lives and Landscapes (October 2019).

Tom currently resides in Sydney, NSW.' King Street Gallery Website