Nicola Woodcock / 24 Apr - 18 May 2025
Nicola Woodcock
Outré Gallery Fitzroy
24 Apr - 18 May 2025
Opening Night
6–8pm on Thursday 24 Apr 2025
319 Smith Street, Fitzroy
Drinks provided by Range Life Wine & Bodriggy Brewing Co.
*** CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SHOW
British born, Nicola is a Sydney based artist working out of her studio on the edge of Ku Ring Gai National Park. She was a finalist in The Northern Beaches Environmental Art Prize 2023, The Little Things Art Prize 2023 and The National Emerging Art Prize in 2021 and 2022. In 2024 she collaborated with ethical Melbourne based label Nancy Bird, her artwork featuring on clothing and apparel for the Spring season.
Artist Statement:
I spent a blissful afternoon strolling through the Royal Botanic Gardens recently and took inspiration from the succulent garden for this small body of work. There are specimens from far flung and arid desert countries, jungles and rainforests. I was momentarily transported to exotic places like Morocco and Madagascar. The variety of shapes, colours and the sheer scale of the plants fascinated me. I had to explore their forms back in the studio to really get to know them and to deepen my appreciation of the incredible variety of plant life on our green planet.
I work in oil pastel, drawing from a small palette and placing colours side by side rather than blending or mixing to find combinations which excite me. I allow the medium to dictate the strength of lines and marks which means relinquishing a degree of control over the marks produced. The thick crayon-like pastels leave no room for fussiness, detail is pared back and I’m forced to search for the essence of the image.
Neryl Walker / 24 Apr - 18 May 2025
Neryl Walker - ‘Ladylike'
Outré Gallery Fitzroy
24 Apr - 18 May 2025
Opening Night
6–8pm on Thursday, 24 Apr 2025
319 Smith Street, Fitzroy
Drinks provided by Range Life Wine & Bodriggy Brewing Co.
*** CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SHOW
Neryl Walker is an Australian artist, illustrator and designer who loves to draw and celebrate women.
Inspired by a love of mid 20th century pop culture, her studio and 1950s home is filled with countless sources of vintage and nostalgic inspiration.
Known for her strong and playful female characters, Neryl’s background in Graphic Design has seen her collaborating on branding, advertising, design, publishing and large scale mural projects. Her work has featured on 100 different shades of lip gloss for Buxom Lips cosmetic packaging, on limited edition bottles of Four Pillars Gin, and in Playboy Magazine, where she is the artist behind the updated iconic 1950’s character, Femlin.
Internationally exhibited and recognised in Lürzer’s Archive Top 200 Illustrators, she is also represented by Snyder in the US and UK.
Artist statement:
Ladylike: graceful, polite, and behaving in a way that is considered socially acceptable for a woman.
Women and femmes are constantly navigating expectations about how they should present themselves. It’s a delicate balance – be confident but not bossy, sexy but not promiscuous, outspoken but not too loud.
This exhibition delves into the language that subtly polices and diminishes women’s actions. Words like hormonal, bitch, ditsy, nag, and catty carry negative or patronising undertones. Some terms reflect double standards: a woman is labeled a slut, while a man is seen as a player; she’s bossy, while he’s simply assertive.
Ladylike is a series of bold, figurative mixed media paintings, silhouette cutouts, and a hand-tufted rug. Each artwork is playfully titled after one of these insults, inviting viewers to reflect on how these labels shape our perceptions. With a sense of freedom and joy, this collection unapologetically celebrates women as they are.
Take a look at Neryl's 2018 solo show Broad Appeal.
Read our interview with Neryl for an insight into her practice.