She’s also been a finalist in the Archibald Prize for the last 3 years in a row with stunning self portraits. And she’s only 24.

But the road to this success has not been smooth. Experiencing dyslexia as a child, she struggled both academically and socially in her early years and had to learn strategies to fit in. There’s also been an intermittent struggle with depression and she speaks openly about those experiences and how they have impacted her fascinating self portraits.

Painting on canvas has never really interested her. She’s  more interested in transforming materials into ideas. Those materials have ranged from wax and copper to marble.

Walsh displays wisdom beyond her years and it was great to meet her.

Press ‘play’ which appears beneath the feature photo to hear the podcast episode.

Scroll down to see a short video of Walsh in her studio.

https://youtu.be/4AkEXoIyAhg

‘Numb to touch – (self portrait)’, oil on copper, 40.5 x 28cm (finalist Archibald prize 2018)

View of ‘Numb to touch (self portrait)’ in perspex frame (photo courtesy of Natasha Walsh Instagram page)

‘Within the studio (self-portrait)’ oil on marble 10cm x 10cm (winner Kilgour prize 2018)

Three of the twenty works in ‘Timepiece’, exhibition at Dominik Mersch Gallery in 2017, all oil, pigment and goat’s milk on copper.

Installation view of ‘Timepiece’ exhibition at Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney, 2017

‘luciana, 1936’, oil, bee’s wax and dammar resin on panel

‘Self portrait’ oil on copper 25 x 22.5cm  (finalist Archibald prize 2016)

‘One minute til midnight’, 2017, oil on copper, (finalist Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2017)

‘The Scent of rain (self portrait)’ 2017,  oil on copper 25 x 22..5cm (finalist Archibald prize 2017)