The Artist’s Digest

On the NSW South Coast, hidden among the usual seaside fare of surf shops and fish and chips providores are creative outposts showcasing the artistry and craftsmanship of local makers. 

An artist, art lover, collector and curator walked  into a bar. Over a glass or two of Yalumba chardonnay, they caught up on life, work and the latest and greatest in contemporary art.  The backdrop to their discussion was Sydney Contemporary, Australasia’s premier art fair. Run over four days (11 - 14 September 2025), the fair transformed Sydney’s Carriageworks, a historical railway workshop, into a maze of installations, exhibitions, talk spaces, lounges and cafes. 

Confronted by the political calamities of the past (some still ongoing), six Australian artists question what it means to remember and respond to these events in the context of modern sensibilities. They are part of a curated exhibition at Campbelltown Arts Centre: ‘in every room’. 

From paintings to photography and sculpture to ceramics, the diversity of local artistic talent is clear at the 27th Annual Liverpool Art Society Exhibition.  Housed on the ground floor of Liverpool Powerhouse (formerly Casula Powerhouse and Arts Centre), the exhibition is a compilation of entries from all ages across multiple disciplines. Ceramic works on display at the 27th Annual Liverpool Art Society Exhibition   The $5,000 acquisitive major prize, sponsored by Liverpool City Council, was awarded to Idil Abdullahi for her ceramic work, 'Exhale'.  Other major prizes awarded included the $1,500 Liverpool Powerhouse Scholarship Award and $750 Masterton Homes Prize for Innovation and Technical Excellence.  These were awarded to John Wang for 'Morning Town Hall' (oil work) and Charlie Roppola Wells for 'Rock Hill' (acrylic work) respectively.  Many artworks exhibited are available for sale, with prices listed in the exhibition pamphlet available on site. Youth en...

“I don’t really like the starving artist mindset,” says Melbourne-based artist and illustrator, Rachel Kim. “Like just doing one thing - I love being versatile with my art.” Kim joins me over a video call from her home in the city’s outer suburbs. It’s a dreary winter’s morning there and she has dressed accordingly in a thick knitted jumper. Its bell-sleeved details are reminiscent of the smocks worn by young budding artists.