Australian Masked Owl I

Based on the north coast of New South Wales, award winning painter Karlee Rawkins’ vibrant images of flora and fauna reflect the artist’s deep fascination with the natural world and highlight the role creatures play within our imagination. Informed in part by the lush diversity of her local ecosystem, Rawkins’ works depict a ceaselessly verdant world full of growth and possibility.

Attracted to the ways in which pattern and line intersect with form and colour, Rawkins’ skilfully integrates discernible representation with subtle, intuitive abstraction. There is a wildness to her mark-making and a bold, celebratory use of colour resulting in portraits that are transformative, other worldly and profoundly ritualistic. This dexterous sense of composition and lively mark making is captivating, revealing both child-like veneration and sophisticated appreciation for the form and character of her subjects.