Margaret Olley (1923–2011), ‘Wildflowers and pears’ c.1973 oil on board, 65 x 76cm. Purchased through the bequest of Phoebe McNamara and the Tweed Regional Gallery Donations Fund, 2019, Tweed Regional Gallery collection © Margaret Olley Art Trust.

Painting Life: Margaret Olley and Works from the Collection celebrates vibrant still life paintings by Margaret Olley in the Tweed Regional Gallery collection, together with contemporary responses to Olley’s home studio re-creation that is on permanent display at the Margaret Olley Art Centre. Alongside Olley’s still life paintings, the exhibition features responses by artists Nicholas Harding, John Honeywill, Guido Maestri, Lewis Miller, Adam Pyett, Monica Rohan, Pam Tippett, together with recent still life acquisitions by Laura Jones, India Mark and more.

The contemporary still life responses to Margaret Olley’s home studio re-creation provide a fascinating insight to Olley’s enduring legacy and further shapes the ongoing narrative around Australia’s most celebrated painter of still life.