Melbourne is budding with art and artists.
With International Women’s Day on Monday, we wanted to honour the women artists of Melbourne who pour their creative souls into producing breathtaking artwork that colours our city, our homes and our lives. (Featured image: @dchuck)
Whether you’re into beautiful watercolours or colours that pop, thought-provoking fine art or street art that’s in your face, the women artists based in Naarm/Melbourne have produced it, are producing it or will produce it.
1. @laurabennett_art
Laura Bennet is a self-taught artist who is inspired by Melbourne’s street art. She aims to produce pieces with bold colours and abstract shapes but is constantly evolving her painting technique so every new piece adds an element of surprise. We think her work is great and despite its seeming simplicity, we continue to find ourselves seeing something we hadn’t yet seen.
Sarah Santana is a young Melbourne artist creating work that touches on nature, mental health and self-care. Her IG feed is a real mixed bag of colours with some pieces neon-bright and quite fun while others, like the one above, draw us into something deeper.
3. @the_little_librarian_
When it comes to street art, we normally think of large-scale murals taking up sides of buildings. However, The Little Librarian is filling Melbourne streets with upcycled books. Open one up and find inside a mini-diorama with accompanying quotes or observations—often sardonic, always insightful.
4. @georgia_laurie_art
Georgia Laurie McFee is no stranger to colour or pattern, and mixes both to create something visually arresting. Layers of paint create layers of clothing, the perspective of which seems to bend freely and constantly challenge the eye. Check out her Instagram feed for more mind-bending artwork.
5. @kathleenmcmahon_art
6. @van_printer
Vanessa Meckes uses circles, oblongs and all manner of different shapes to highlight areas of the face, and we think this really brings dimension and personality to her portraits. She uses a bright colour palette, which gives each painting a different flavour that is almost tangible. Follow her on Instagram to see more.
7. @amandakettererart
Amanda Ketterer uses very vivid colours and patterns to create her beautiful artwork, and yet there is something very soft and subtle about it. The way that she paints, with confident and yet gentle brush strokes, ties the component elements of her work together but ensures real depth. Check out her Instagram account for more amazing artwork.
8. @andriabeighton
9. @adriana.artmeier
Painting things like water, balloons and clear plastic takes so much skill, skill which Adriana Artmeier clearly has in spades. Looking at her artwork, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a photograph because she paints light and shadow so expertly. If you’d like to be amazed by more of her artwork, head over to her Instagram page.
10. @d_u_s_s_e_l_b_e_r_g
Nadia Düsselberg’s artwork is incredibly bold, and we love it. It’s unapologetically cheery, using an already vivid colour as its base, with so many amazing features that are even more vivid in colour. Every piece feels like a window into Nadia’s brain, and we are here for it!