Antonia Mrljak, ‘On This Island’. Courtesy: the artist and James Makin Gallery, Melbourne.

Antonia Mrljak is concerned with harnessing emotive responses, creating tangible relationships between viewer and canvas with composition and colour. On This Island seeks to form connections between artwork and viewer from the context of Mrljak’s migrant background. The daughter of Italian immigrants, this body of work is driven by memories of the artist’s parents, who worked to forge a life in Australia. History and identity manifest upon the canvas, articulated through an astute process of abstraction and emotion that pays homage to the labouring of the artist’s parents and to the wider immigrant communities.

Please note: the gallery is currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, click here to view the exhibition online.

Opening event: Saturday 21st August 2 – 4pm, restrictions permitting. Please check the James Makin Gallery website for details.

Follow this artist