Australian Women Artists

Australian Women Artists
 The podcast
 Ep 66 Dagmar Cyrulla
 
Dagmar Cyrulla is an Australian contemporary artist whose work grew out of a lifelong interest in people, relationships, and the emotional texture of ordinary life.
Born in Germany and raised in Sydney from age one, she developed an art practice that blends portraiture, domestic scenes, and psychological observation into stories about human connection. 
She is a distinguished figure in the Australian art scene, frequently appearing as a finalist for prestigious awards such as the Archibald, Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Dobell Drawing Prize, Portia Geach, Fishers Ghost and many more. 
She has been described, wonderfully I think, as a seasoned storyteller of the contemporary human condition.
 
“My work is about feelings, based on how we relate to one another. My aim is to engage the viewer in the same thought process as mine, so as to open an opportunity to self questioning. My paintings are stories which hopefully reflect my love of people. The life experiences I use to develop my work include; Father and daughter relationships, power relationships, relationships to parents, being and having a role model, sibling rivalry etc.  I have clarity with each artwork in regard to the ideas I am exploring, however  it is more important for me to be engaged emotionally with each work.  I play with colour and light to help create the mood that I want the viewer to experience.” Dagmar Cyrulla
 
Head to the link in my bio for our conversation and or from wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Dagmar (@dagmarcyrulla) is represented by Lennox St Gallery (@lennoxstgallery) and Wagner Contemporary (@wagnercontemporary)
 
Etre is showing at Lennox St till 25 April
 
 
 
Images
1.   DC
2.   The keeper of secrets, 2009, pastel on paper 205 x 142
3.   Etre III, 2025, oil on linen 50 x 40
4.   Le marriage, 2024, oil on linen, 82 x 61
5.   Woman bathing after Rembrandt, 2025 oil on linen, 41 x 36
6.   After Hopper study II, 2025 oil on paper on board 45 x 25
7.   Wendy Paris and Minerva, oil on canvas
8.   If you can’t stand the heat, 2010, oil on canvas

Australian Women Artists
 
 The Podcast
 
 Episode 65 Shay Docking
 
 Artists of Influence: Shay Docking (influencing Margaret Ackland, ep. 5)
 
 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. 
If you’d like to hear in more detail about Shay Docking, then follow the link in my bio to a ‘mini’ podcast about this extraordinary woman.
 
 In ep. 5, I asked this question of critically acclaimed Australian contemporary artist Margaret Ackland. And the artist that was an influence on her was Shay Docking.
Shay Docking is one of the most original landscape painters of the twentieth century. The extraordinary work she produced deserves greater recognition.
Examples of Shay’s work are displayed at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, the National Gallery Victoria and the Art Gallery of NSW as well as other major state and regional galleries across Australia and NZ.  
And Shay Docking was such a good friend and influence on Margaret Ackland that, in 1987, Margaret painted a portrait of Shay for the Archibald Prize and was a finalist. The same portrait won the Portia Geach Memorial Award the following year.
 
Head to my Instagram account to have a look at Shay’s work (a larger carousel of her works will follow) and Margaret Ackland’s beautiful portrait of Shay Docking. And make sure you have a listen to her episode on Australian Women Artists.
Margaret Ackland is represented by 
@flinderslanegallery
@stanley_street_gallery
 
Images
1 Margaret Ackland’s award-winning portrait of her friend, Shay Docking 
2 Shay Docking’s Volcano Blue Lake and Plains, 1979, pastel and acrylic on paper on board 76 x 98
 
More images of Shay’s work to follow on instagram

Australian Women Artists
 
The podcast
 
Ep 64 Celia Gullett
 
 Celia Gullett has developed a beautiful distinctive practice over several decades. Her abstract works explore colour, light and surface with what’s been described as, ‘remarkable sensitivity’. 
 
Her career has unfolded gradually, shaped by long periods of study, reflection and... life. 
 
A major turning point in Celia’s artistic development came in the mid to late 1990s when she began studying at the Charlie Sheard Studio School in Sydney. And we’ll talk about the importance of that to her remarkable journey. 
 
Her work gained recognition through art prizes and exhibitions. She became a repeat finalist in both the Mosman Art Prize and the Paddington Art Prize and just last year won the Allan Gamble Award at the Mosman Art Prize. 
 
Celia spoke about growing up in the country and that even as a young girl, she was acutely aware of sensory moments and being observant (a necessary skill in the country!). 
 
We also talked about her art school experiences and what it did and didn’t provide. Which led to her needing to get out in the world to develop her language. It was really interesting talking about her seminal experience at the Charlie Sheard Studio School. His mantra that stuck with her...It’s not what you paint, it’s how you paint it.
 
Of course, we discussed the fabulous influences on her personally and artistically from her time in Florence and Rajasthan. But always – colour, light and surface...and the importance of treading your own path. 
 
 
We had our conversation in Celia’s fabulous Sydney studio.
 
 
Celia (@celia.gullett) is represented by Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane (@janmurphygallery) and Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne (@sophiegannongallery)
 
 
Image of CG supplied by artist. Photographer: @markrogers_photo
More images to follow in subsequent post

Australian Women Artists
 The podcast
Ep. 63 Camie Lyons
 
 Camie Lyons is a Sydney-based contemporary artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, painting, and drawing. 
 Her creative approach is deeply informed by her background as a dancer, translating the rhythm and fluid lines of human movement into physical forms. Working primarily with bronze and charcoal, she often sources inspiration from the Australian landscape, using natural materials like eucalyptus branches to anchor her organic silhouettes. 
 Camie has received extensive academic training in Melbourne and Sydney, supplemented by international residencies in countries such as Sweden and Bulgaria. Her professional portfolio includes major commissions for prestigious brands like Tiffany & Co. and the Hilton Hotel, alongside numerous solo exhibitions across Australia and Asia. 
 Today, her work is held in prominent public and private collections globally, reflecting her status as a significant figure in the contemporary art world.
 We discussed the discipline of being a professional ballet dancer and her work as an artist and the fabulous influences of one over the other. How her work, despite being in the hard and heavy medium of bronze, is still very intuitive. Very little planning. I found that fascinating. We also talked about the random things that can happen in life and taking the opportunities they may present and the importance of risk and believing in your own process. 
 
To hear our conversation, head to the link in my bio. 
 
Camie (@camie.lyons) is represented by Australian Galleries (@australiangalleries) in Sydney and Melbourne
 
 
 
Images
1 CL
2 Girl is gone, 2025 bronze 98 x 85 x 51
3 Slow tumbling house 2025 bronze 60 x 54 x 49
4 Moving young to a new planet 2025 acrylic and pencil on linen
5 Apple and pear 2019 bronze 14 x 14 x 14

Australian Women Artists
 
The podcast
 
Ep. 62. Deborah Halpern OAM
 
Deborah Halpern is one of Australia’s most celebrated multi-disciplinary artists, renowned for her vibrant, whimsical public sculptures that have redefined Melbourne’s urban landscape. 
 
Rather than pursuing austere minimalism, which still dominated many sculpture departments, she embraced exuberance. Colour became central to her practice...and over a career spanning more than four decades, Deborah has explored a vast array of mediums, including sculpture, painting, pottery, glass blowing, and printmaking, though she is most famously identified with her monumental mosaic works... large-scale sculptures constructed from fibreglass and steel armatures, clad in hand-cut ceramic tiles.
 
It was a lovely languid conversation about her journey, her processes and, amongst other things, how her international residencies gave her exposure to international artists and had a huge impact on her and her work. 
 
It was also really interesting hearing about her seminal 10m sculpture ‘Angel’ which graced the outside of the National Gallery of Victoria...in particular the constant hurdles she faced in physically making it and finding the finance to finish it.  
 
She’s a big advocate for the benefit of art and public art in particular. Her work is meant to bring joy. To ‘elevate and escalate the art experience’, as she puts it.
 
 
To listen to the conversation, head to the link in my bio.
Deborah Halpern is represented by @arthousegallery, Sydney
@niagaragalleries, Melbourne 
See more of her works at
www.deborahhalpern.com
 
Images:
1 DH by Mia Mala McDonald
2 Family 2024 (all works are glass, steel, fibreglass) 345 x 220 x 88
3 Ophelia 1992 (the face of Melbourne)
4 Bodrig the Powerful Owl 2025 116 x 100 x 60
5 Angel 1988
6 Flying Fish 2025 50 x 56 x 30
7 Creature with Green Eyes and Tail 2026 59 x 39 x14
8 Winged Victory 2026 127 x 56 x 110