Robyn Kinsela
Although the subject of her work hovers between the tangible and the abstract, Robyn Kinsela is usually influenced by her own environment, experiences and reactions and by the love of materials used at the time of creating the work. Kinsela incorporates found or forgotten bits of drawings, fabrics, textures and uses text and type as texture and pattern. Memory and connection are also important. Colour relationships and the resulting emotional triggers are forever intriguing.
Based in regional NSW and the Southern Highlands, Kinsela draws that inspiration from the landscape virtually on her doorstep - gnarly burnt and weathered trees, untidy bush and undergrowth, are the constant muse from which the artist teases out ideas about local colours, imagined colours, visualising sounds, transforming shapes.
But Kinsela is also drawn to memories and images of coastal landscapes from which she interprets rather than simply 'copying'. Such an approach allows her to toss around ideas about the layering of space and of time, neither of which are constants.
Click here for artwork by Robyn Kinsela
Exhibitions at Tacit Art
2018 Dirt Tree Rock
Robyn Kinsela’s work ranges from abstract to expressive and impressionistic. Nature’s patterns and textures are common themes where she interprets rather than copies her subject.
Kinsela develops much of her work in the studio referencing sketches, photos and written descriptions which help transport her to another place in her memory - back to places Kinsela has travelled, known and experienced. As she says herself, “It’s as if there is a delayed reaction, as if my thoughts need some sort of incubation time.
2017 Levels of Landscape
I do not copy my subject but interpret it as I feel at the time of painting. Drawing, memory and imagination, and using colours and materials that I feel like using, keep me absorbed in the whole process.
Sometimes the resulting work comes like a delayed reaction as if my work needs an incubation period - it needs to mature or un-mature.
I know that juggling life and art has its costs and rewards.
There you go....today’s statement - maybe different tomorrow.
Exhibition
solo
2021 Earth Matters - SHAC Gallery, Robertson, NSW
2019 Distractions - FORM Gallery, Queanbeyan
2018 Dirt Tree Rock - Tacit Art, Melbourne
2017 Levels of Landscape - Tacit Art, Melbourne
2012 Beyond Eye Level - DEPOT II Gallery, Danks St, Sydney
2011 West of Wilcannia - FORM Gallery, Queanbeyan
2009 Seen and Unseen - Sturt Gallery, Mittagong
2006 Paintings and Prints - Sturt Gallery, Mittagong
2005 Through the Door - Foyer Gallery, Canberra School of Art, ANU
2003 Inform - Finishing Room Gallery, Canberra School of Art, ANU
2002 Robyn Kinsela - Harris Courtin Gallery, Sydney
2001 Small Works - Sturt Gallery, Mittagong
2000 Full Circle - Albert Street Gallery, Mittagong
group
2024 JADA - Grafton Regional Gallery
Out of Darkness - Springboard, Bowral (w/ Kim Shannon)
Nexus - Quadrant Gallery, Melbourne
EVOKE - Sturt Gallery, Mittagong
Waterbrook Landscape Prize - Bowral
Feel Good Art - Quadrant Gallery, Melbourne
Harden/Murrumburra Bendigo Bank Landscape Prize - NSW
2023 reSONATE - H.K.Edit, Sydney (w/ Ruth Levine)
Muswellbrook Art Prize
BOCCA - Bowral Art Gallery
John Villiers Outback Art Prize - Winton
2022 Wingecarribee Landscape Award
Goulburn Regional Art Gallery Open Art Award
2021 Goulburn Regional Art Gallery Open Art Award
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Campbelltown
2020 20[2020] - Tacit Art, Melbourne
Wingecarribee Landscape Award
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Campbelltown
Gosford Art Prize
Sunshine Coast Art Award
Stanthorpe Art Award
Wyndham Art Prize
John Villiers Outback Art Prize - Winton
2019 Wingecarribee Landscape Award
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Campbelltown
2018 Kangaroo Valley Art Award
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Campbelltown
Wyndham Art Prize
2017 Vietnam Veterans’ Visible Silence - Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, (w/ Kim Shannon)
Wingecarribee Landscape Award
Alumni 1985-2005 - Sturt Gallery, Mittagong
Where are they now? - The Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral
Bayside Art Prize - Melbourne
2016 Heysen Landscape Prize
Sojourns - M16, Griffith ACT
St George Art Award - Hurstville Museum & Gallery
Wingecarribee Landscape Award
Lyn McCrea Memorial Drawing Award
Goulburn Regional Art Gallery Open Art Award
2015 NOW - Shoalhaven Contemporary Art Award
New Tricks - Bowral Art Gallery
Wingecarribee Landscape Award
2014 JADA Drawing Prize
NEW(S), Southern Highlands Printmakers - Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery
Copes Portrait Prize
Norvill Landscape Painting Prize
NEW(S), Southern Highlands Printmakers - Shoalhaven City Arts Centre, Nowra
2013 Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize - Sydney
Abstracted Landscapes - FORM Gallery, Queanbeyan
Muswellbrook Art Prize
Goulburn Regional Art Gallery Open Art Award
2012 Heysen Landscape Prize
Works on Paper Open Awards - Bowral
2011 Veolia Open Art Award - Goulburn Regional Art Gallery
Blending Boundaries - Goulburn Regional Art Gallery
Muswellbrook Art Prize
2009 Meroogal Women's Art Prize
2008 Norvill Landscape Painting Prize
Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize - Sydney
The Gib - Sturt Gallery, Mittagong
The Outback Art Prize - Broken Hill
Group - Vizivarosi Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2007 Works on Paper Open Awards - Bowral
Group - Congress Center, Balantofured, Hungary
Wingecarribee Print Prize
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Campbelltown
2006 Meroogal Women's Art Prize
Mosman Art Prize - Sydney
Pushing Boundaries - Goulburn Regional Art Gallery
Works on Paper Open Awards - Bowral
Arc Yinnar Drawing Prize
2005 Heysen Landscape Prize
Meroogal Women's Art Prize
City of Banyule: Works on Paper Prize - Melbourne
Hazelhurst Art Prize - Sydney
Geelong Print Award
Island Art Prize - Tasmania
Works on Paper Open Awards - Bowral
2004 Heysen Landscape Prize
Norvill Landscape Painting Prize
Meroogal Women's Art Prize
Traces, Southern Highlands Printmakers - Wollongong City Art Gallery
The 33rd Alice Prize - Alice Springs
Works on Paper Open Awards - Bowral
2003 Meroogal Women's Art Prize
Alvaro Open Painting, BDAS Bowral
Works on Paper Open Awards - Bowral
Nick Scali Portrait Prize - Southern Highlands Regional Gallery
Collections
Australian National Gallery - National Art Gallery in Wales - Historic Houses Trust NSW - Canberra Hospital - Children's Hospital, Westmead, NSW - Hurstville Museum & Art Gallery - Alfred Hospital, Sydney - Lumiere Apartments, Sydney
Awards
2024 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award - Finalist
Waterbrook Landscape Prize - Finalist
Harden/Murrumburra Bendigo Bank Landscape Prize - Finalist
2023 Muswellbrook Art Prize - Finalist
John Villiers Outback Art Prize - Finalist
2022 Wingecarribee Landscape Award - Finalist
Goulburn Regional Art Gallery Open Art Award - Finalist
2021 Goulburn Regional Art Gallery Open Art Award - Finalist
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Finalist
2020 Wingecarribee Landscape Award - Finalist
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Finalist
Gosford Art Prize - Finalist
Sunshine Coast Art Award - Finalist
Stanthorpe Art Award - Finalist
Wyndham Art Prize - Finalist
John Villiers Outback Art Prize - Finalist
2019 Wingecarribee Landscape Award - First Prize
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Finalist
2018 Kangaroo Valley Art Award - First Prize
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Finalist
Wyndham Art Prize - Finalist
2017 Wingecarribee Landscape Award - 2nd place
Bayside Art Prize - Finalist
2016 Heysen Landscape Prize - Finalist
St George Art Award - First Prize
Wingecarribee Landscape Award - Finalist (Highly commended)
Lyn McCrea Memorial Drawing Award - Finalist (Highly commended)
Goulburn Regional Art Gallery Open Art Award - Finalist
2015 Shoalhaven Contemporary Art Award - Finalist
Wingecarribee Landscape Award - 2nd place
2014 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award - Finalist
Copes Portrait Prize - Finalist
Norvill Landscape Painting Prize - Finalist
2013 Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize - Finalist
Muswellbrook Art Prize - Finalist
Goulburn Regional Art Gallery Open Art Award - Finalist
2012 Heysen Landscape Prize - Finalist
Bowral Works on Paper Open Awards - Finalist
2011 Veolia Open Art Award - Finalist
Muswellbrook Art Prize - Finalist
2009 Meroogal Women's Art Prize - People's Choice Award
2008 Norvill Landscape Painting Prize - Finalist
Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize - Finalist (Highly commended)
The Outback Art Prize - Finalist
2007 Bowral Works on Paper Open Awards - Finalist
Wingecarribee Print Prize - Finalist (Highly commended)
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award - Finalist
2006 Meroogal Women's Art Prize - Finalist
Mosman Art Prize - Finalist
Bowral Works on Paper Open Awards - Finalist
Arc Yinnar Drawing Prize - Finalist (Highly commended)
2005 Heysen Landscape Prize - Finalist
Meroogal Women's Art Prize - Finalist
Banyule Works on Paper Award - Finalist
Hazelhurst Art Prize - Finalist
Geelong Print Award - Finalist
Island Art Prize - Finalist
Bowral Works on Paper Open Awards - Finalist
2004 Heysen Landscape Prize - Finalist
Norvill Landscape Painting Prize - Finalist
Meroogal Women's Art Prize - Finalist
The 33rd Alice Prize - Finalist
Bowral Works on Paper Open Awards - Finalist
2003 Meroogal Women's Art Prize - Finalist
Alvaro Open Painting Award - First place
Bowral Works on Paper Open Awards - Finalist
Nick Scali Portrait Prize - First place
Residencies
2016 Fowler's Gap residency - NSW
2012 Gunyah Artist residency - NSW
2007 Hungarian Multicultural Artist-in-Residence, Balantonfured/Csopak - Hungary