Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 32 Dr Bronwyn Bancroft AM

Bronwyn Bancroft is a proud Bundjalung Woman and Artist.

Her career has included both national and international exhibitions and her work has been acquired by all major Australian galleries, state libraries, and private collections. She has undertaken numerous public commissions, which allow her to reach and educate audiences beyond traditional gallery spaces.

Bronwyn’s artistic style is immediately recognizable for its bold use of colour, intricate patterns, and dynamic compositions that exude life and energy. Her work is distinctly contemporary, incorporating modern painting techniques and innovative compositional structures.

She has also been a trailblazer in children's literature, having published nearly 50 books. She's been a director of her own company, Designer Aboriginals, since 1985. And in 1987 was one of the first Australian fashion designers to be invited to exhibit her works in Paris.

She has a long history of involvement in community and arts administration, has a Diploma of Visual Arts, two master's, and a PhD in visual arts.

Bronwyn Bancroft is an artist, an author and illustrator, a leader and mentor. She has inspired and directly supported countless emerging artists, sharing her hard-earned wisdom and nurturing new talent.

Bronwyn has a retrospective opening on October 24th at Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative in Leichhardt NSW. Copy and paste this link in your browser for details:

https://boomalli.com.au/events/i-am-gurgun/

Head to the link in my bio for our podcast conversation.

Images

1. BB

2. You don't even look Aboriginal, 1991, watercolour, photograph, collage on paper 110x75.7

3. My Woman, My Country, 1995, watercolour, gouache on paper, 76x75.5

4. Cloud over past generations, 1991, colour screenprint 56.6x65.6

5. Lionsville Livin’, 2015, acrylic on canvas, 300x200

6. Vivid Festival 2025, 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘛𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭 created by Dr. Bronwyn Bancroft in collaboration with Chas Clarkson

Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 31 Eleanor Louise Butt

My guest on today’s podcast for Australian Women Artists is contemporary artist Eleanor Louise Butt.

She’s celebrated for her abstract paintings where colour, texture, line, and form converge to bristle with gestural energy and movement...we explore that during our conversation because I find that fascinating.

Her work evolves from studio experimentation and her approach to artmaking is deeply philosophical, viewing painting as a form of visual conversation. She describes observing her paintings developing "like a conversation, whereby each mark influences the next.” Again, something we needed to explore. Eleanor has received numerous accolades throughout her career.

She won the Muswellbrook Art Prize for painting and the George Hicks Award. She’s been a finalist in multiple prestigious prizes, including the Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, Len Fox Painting Award, Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize, Muswellbrook Art Prize, Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize, Waverley Art Prize, Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize, and M-Collection Art Award. Her work is held in significant public and private collections globally.

Head to my bio to have a listen to her episode.

She will have work at the Sydney Contemporary where she will also be giving a talk (link below).

Eleanor’s artist talk at Sydney Contemporary, Sep 11 2-3pm, is listed here: https://sydneycontemporary.com.au/event/artist-talk-eleanor-louise-butt-chloe-in-conversation-on-the-booth/

She is represented by @comagallery

1. ELB image supplied by artist

2.Unfolding Abstraction, Thinking Three-Dimensionally 2022 Oil on linen 152 x 168cm with drop-shadow

3.Unfolding Orange Abstraction 2023 Oil on cotton 25.5 x 35cm

4. The Garden’s Embrace oil on linen, 167x127

5. Eleanor’s Porthmeor Studio, Cornwall, UK 2019

6. Within the Garden (Autumn Painting 2) 2022 oil on cotton 160x200 purchased by MCA

Australian Women Artists

The Podcast

Episode 28

Artists of Influence: Carol Jerrems (influencing Tamara Dean, ep. 2)

Welcome to another edition of AWA artists of influence.

For those who’ve heard some of these podcasts, you’ll remember that the last question I ask is: Is there an Australian woman artist who has inspired or influenced you and if so, who and how?

I’ve decided to explore a little further the artists who were named as influences by my podcast guests.

In ep. 2 I asked this question of critically acclaimed Australian photomedia artist Tamara Dean. And her response was Carol Jerrems.

Carol Jerrems (1949-1980) stands as one of Australia's most significant photographers, despite a career tragically cut short.

In her brief but prolific working life, she created an extraordinary body of work that captured the spirit, struggles, and raw beauty of Australian youth in the 1970s.

Head to the link in my bio to hear about Carol (or whichever platform you find your podcasts).

Both Tamara and I refer to Carol’s work, ‘Vale Street’ (1975). This platform prevents the image being reproduced but copy and paste this link in your browser to have a look.

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/46.1979/

And while you’re looking at Carol’s work, take a look also at Tamara Dean’s photographic work and see if you can see the influences on her that she talks about. You can see more of Tamara’s work at www.tamaradean.com.au

Images

1. CJ by Stuart Holmes

2. Self Portrait, Kingsgate Hyatt Hotel Room, 1973 Kings Cross

3. Rita on the couch at Killcare Beach, 1976 NGA

4. Edols seeing Gulpilil with a bucket 1974 NGA

5. Jenny Bonnette 1974 NGA

Australian Women Artists

The Podcast

Ep 29 Anne Ryan on artist Lesley Dumbrell

I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to have a fabulous conversation with Anne Ryan on the incredible Australian artist, Lesley Dumbrell.

Anne Ryan is one of Australia's leading art curators. She serves as Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where she oversees the prestigious collection of Australian prints, drawings and watercolours. She pursued her studies at the Univ. of Syd and NSW and served as the Sarah & William Holmes Scholar in the Depts of Prints & Drawings at the British Museum.

Anne has curated various exhibitions and publications focusing on historical and contemporary Australian art and artists with a particular interest in women artists. Amongst many other things, she has curated the annual Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes eight times since 2015.

Lesley Dumbrell is a pioneering abstract painter celebrated for her precise geometric abstract paintings and mastery of colour and rhythm. Over more than five decades, she has forged her own path in a male-dominated genre, becoming a leading figure in the country’s abstraction movement and a passionate advocate for women in art, notably co-founding the Women’s Art Register in 1976 which archives living female artists.

Lesley’s work explores the dynamic interplay between colour, perception, and environment, and is held in major national collections, including the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

She very recently, at age 82, attended her first comprehensive solo exhibition at AGNSW...her first survey in a state art museum – curated by none other than my guest, Anne Ryan.

It’s a fabulous insight and Anne was fortunate enough to have spent a great deal of time with Lesley in putting not only the exhibition Thrum together, but the amazing book that accompanied that exhibition.

Head to the link in my bio to find the podcast.

Images – supplied by AGNSW

1. LD

2. Solstice, 1974 liquitex on canvas, 173x296

3. Spangle, 1977 liquitex on canvas 149x210

4. Columbine, 2008 liquitex on canvas 172x228

Australian Women Artists

The Podcast

Episode 28

Artists of Influence: Anne Ferguson (influencing Jo Bertini, ep. 1)

Hi everyone and welcome to a special edition of AWA. In light of a recent delay in recording of a podcast episode I came up with the idea of elaborating on an aspect of the podcast.

For those who’ve heard some of these podcasts, you’ll remember that the last question I ask is: Is there an Australian woman artist who has inspired or influenced you and if so, who and how?

And, because there were a lot of names given to me that I wasn’t aware of (which is no surprise to those who’ve listened to the podcasts – but that’s precisely why I’m doing this...to become more aware)...I thought it might be appropriate to then highlight those artists who were named as influences, by the artists I’ve had a conversation with...if that makes sense.

And I wanted to do a bit of my own research on that influential artist as well as finding some of their art and putting it up on Instagram. So, if you’re interested I’d love it if you went over to the Instagram account (@australianwomenartists) and started following that and you could see the pieces being spoken about.

So, the first time I asked this question was to Jo Bertini....

Images:

1. Anne Ferguson at work

2. Australian Servicewomen's memorial, 1999

3. and 4. Waterfall sculpture, 1977

Australian Women Artists

The Podcast

Ep. 27. Adrienne Doig

Adrienne Doig is one of Australia's most distinctive contemporary artists.

She has spent over three decades transforming the landscape of self-portraiture. Her art is celebrated for its wit, humour, and incisive social commentary, often realised through textiles, embroidery, video, and performance.

She has an unwavering commitment to placing herself—literally and figuratively—at the centre of her creative practice.

Her formative years were characterized by an early exposure to both traditional craft techniques and contemporary artistic movements. This dual influence would become a defining characteristic of her mature work.

I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say that Adrienne’s contribution to Australian contemporary art extends far beyond her individual works. Her innovative and pioneering use of traditional craft techniques has been instrumental in breaking down the hierarchies that traditionally separated craft from fine art.

She’s had around 2 dozen solo exhibitions and is held in many public and private collections both here and overseas.

Head to the link in my bio to listen to our podcast conversation

Adrienne is represented by Martin Browne Contemporary and some of her works are available there.

Images:

1. AD supplied

2. Feminist Cliche (Dresden Plate), 2012 Patchwork, applique and embroidery on linen 99 x 77 cm

3. Self-portrait as Aphrodite, 2023, Mixed Media 67.5 x 16.5 x 16.5 cm

4. Scene 1, 2020, embroidery, applique and paint on needlepoint 59 x 94 cm

5. Extra, 2018, Embroidery on tapestry, 42 x 45 cm

6. On the Edge, 2015, Acrylic, fabric, patchwork, applique and embroidery on canvas, 110 x 84 cm

7. Jenny Kee, Flamingo Park, 2022, Acrylic on wood, Dimensions variable

Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 26. Kim Anderson

Kim Anderson’s artistic journey began in Ballarat, Victoria, where she was born and raised. Her formal artistic education commenced at the University of Ballarat, where she pursued her Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours.

During these formative years, she began developing her distinctive approach to drawing and exploring the themes that would later define her mature work.

Her art demonstrates a deep understanding of drawing as both a technical discipline and a means of emotional expression. She has stated that her work “has always primarily been inspired by images of the body, both its exterior surfaces and delicate inner structures.”

In 2020 Kim was a finalist for the National Works on Paper Award, the Wyndham Art Prize, the Swan Hill Drawing Prize, the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, and the Kedumba Drawing Award. And subsequent years provided many more accolades.

In the last 5 years or so Kim’s work has gained increasing recognition within the Australian art world to the point where recently she was listed among the Top 100 Australian Collectable artists of 2025.

We had a great discussion on her influences including 17 years as a dancer, international residencies and the emotional impact on not only creating these artworks, but then walking into an exhibition where they all hang together.

Kim is represented by the fabulous @flinderslanegallery

NB the artwork that I found so evocative I incorrectly named in the conversation. I meant to say ‘Protection’

Head to my bio for the link to our podcast conversation.


Kim Anderson images:

1. KA photo supplied
2. Fugue #2, 2024, Ink, graphite, charcoal and cold wax on paper, mounted on board
100 x 60cm finalist in the Paul Guest Drawing Prize at Bendigo Art Gallery
3. The Dance II, 2023 Ink, charcoal and graphite on paper 75cm x 75cm
4. Protection, 2018 ink, charcoal & pastel on paper, 116cm x 80cm
5. Metamorphosis 2023 Ink, charcoal and graphite on paper 75cm x 105cm
6. Only Breath and Shadows, 2022, Ink, charcoal and graphite on paper, 100cm x 64cm finalist Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize

Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 25 Amber Boardman

Amber Boardman is an American-born artist who would eventually establish herself as a significant figure in the contemporary Australian art scene.

Her early life was shaped by the cultural landscape of the US, which would later inform her artistic exploration of social dynamics and digital culture. Her artistic development was informed by her dual interest in traditional fine arts and emerging digital media. And, as a result, her work developed to blend classical painting techniques with contemporary concerns about internet culture and social media's influence on human behaviour.

Her formal art education began in the US, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Georgia State University, continued her studies with a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York, and after migrating to Australia, completed a PhD in Fine Art at the University of New South Wales in 2018.

So, as I see it, Amber’s life and art seem defined by a number of things: the interaction between painting and animation, American and Australian influences, and how the internet shapes social norms and individual identity.

Over the past two decades, she has exhibited her work internationally, with shows in New York, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Miami, Atlanta, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane

Amber is represented by Chalk Horse Gallery (Sydney), Sophie Gannon Gallery (Melbourne) and Sandler Hudson Gallery (Atlanta, USA)

Head to the link in my bio to listen to our podcast conversation.

Images

1. AB supplied by artist

2. Coffee Extremist, 2023, oil on canvas 152.4 x 121.9 cm

3. The Rock of Sysyphus, Chasing Gains 2023 oil on canvas 152.4 x 182.9 cm

4. Black Friday Sale 2019 oil on linen 213.4 x 182.9cm

5. Crowd Surfing 2019 oil on linen 213.4 x 182.9cm

6. Massive Touch Network 2019 oil on polyester 274.3 x 182.9cm

7. Self-care exhaustion 2018 acrylic on polyester 183 x 183 cm