Artist Talks | Sydney Contemporary

Artist Talks

Hear directly from the creators in our popular Artist Talks series presented at the gallery booths. Artists will share the stories, inspirations, and experiences that shape their art, offering a deeper understanding of the ideas and concepts that bring their creations to life. Attendance to Artist Talks are included in your ticket.

Artist Talk, Exhibition Opening, VIP

Artist Talk In The Gallery: Emma Itzstein, ‘Excursions Outside the Orangery’

Saturday, August 29, 2026

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

Woollahra

Join artist WA based Emma Itzstein for a walk through of her solo exhibition Excursions Outside the Orangery ahead of the exhibition opening on Saturday 29 August.

Artist Booth Talk: Cobi Cockburn

Thursday, September 3, 2026

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Carriageworks

Join Cobi Cockburn, one of Australia's leading contemporary glass artists, in conversation on the materiality of neon and glass. Her new body of work unfolds as perceptual fields rather than fixed objects, distilling her visual language into two elemental forces: light and line.

Artist Booth Talk: Dane Lovett and Laith McGregor

Thursday, September 3, 2026

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Carriageworks

Join exhibiting artist’s Dane Lovett and Laith McGregor at STATION Booth B14 for an artist talk exploring the themes within their practices. Each artist will share insights into their work, reflecting on the ideas, processes and influences that inform their practice, offering visitors a deeper understanding of the works on view.

Artist Booth Talk: Derek Ogbourne

Thursday, September 3, 2026

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM

Carriageworks

Meet BCFA's exhibiting artist, Derek Ogbourne -born High Wycombe UK. Derek is an Internationally acclaimed, multi-disciplinary artist and will discuss the connection of his paintings to his extensive oeuvre. Trained at the prestigious Slade School of Art, University College London, he will also discuss aspects of painting techniques and the meaning of his series from 2020-2026.

Artist Talk, Photo Sydney

Artist Booth Talk: Alexia Sinclair, ‘The Age of Wonder’

Thursday, September 3, 2026

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Carriageworks

In this informal artist talk, Alexia will share the inspiration, research and meticulous creative process behind The Age of Wonder, offering insights into the making of individual artworks and the stories that shaped the series. She will also present her newly released book, featuring the complete body of work.

In Conversation: Canberra Glassworks Director Aimee Frodsham with Annette Blair and Kirstie Rea, ‘The Poetry of Things’

Thursday, September 3, 2026

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Carriageworks

Join us for an unmissable In Conversation with leading Australian glass artists Annette Blair and Kirstie Rea, hosted by Aimee Frodsham, Director of Canberra Glassworks. As both artists unveil new collaborative works, this Q&A offers a rare chance to explore their distinct practices, personal histories, and artistic identities shaped through decades of working in glass.

Artist Talk: Fowlers Gap Artist Residency with Arthouse Gallery

Thursday, September 3, 2026

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Carriageworks

Join us at Arthouse Gallery's booth (C07) for a series of artist talks exploring the works created through the Fowlers Gap artist residencies. Developed across two expeditions to the remote research station in far northwest New South Wales, these works reflect on the landscape's ecological fragility, deep time and enduring First Nations histories. Hear directly from participating artists including Jo Davenport, Kate Dorrough, Belinda Fox, Ian Greig, Clifford How, Amelia Lynch, Lauren O'Connor, Colin Pennock, Hobie Porter, Robyn Sweaney, Emma Walker, Shona Wilson and Joshua Yeldham as they discuss their experiences and creative responses to this remarkable environment.

Artist Booth Talk: Stephen Bird, ‘Looping States of Mind’

Thursday, September 3, 2026

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Carriageworks

Stephen Bird (born 1964, Stoke-on-Trent, UK) is a British-born Australian artist whose practice spans ceramics, sculpture, painting & drawing. Living & working in Byron Bay since 1999, Bird has developed a distinct visual language that combines storytelling, satire, & social observation. Join Bird for a talk about his new body of ceramic works, A Looping State of Mind, which explores the subtle entanglements between environment, place, & human experience.

Artist Talk, Bespoke Event

Artist Booth Talk and Vocal Performance: Chun Yin Rainbow Chan ‘Opening The Mouth’

Thursday, September 3, 2026

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Carriageworks

Experience Chun Yin Rainbow Chan bring her work to life through a vocal performance of a traditional bridal lament of Hong Kong's Waitou women. Through what she calls "imperfect acts of translation," Rainbow reanimates these mourning songs through contemporary silk painting.

Artist Booth Talk: Marisa Purcell and Vita Cochran, ‘Colour as Force’

Thursday, September 3, 2026

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Carriageworks

Join Marisa Purcell and Vita Cochran in conversation on colour. Purcell's abstract paintings investigate light and colour as a means of questioning perception and sensation, drawing the viewer into a space beyond the everyday. In contrast, Cochran's embroidered moth sculptures reveal the infinite complexity of the natural world, often requiring eighteen different colours of thread to capture the markings of a single wing.

Artist Booth Talk: Eugenie Kawabata

Thursday, September 3, 2026

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Carriageworks

In Conversation with Sophie Vander, Director of Curatorial+Co., Eugenie Kawabata discusses her practice of transforming discarded textiles into vividly coloured, richly textured sculptural forms.

Artist Booth Talk: Danie Mellor

Thursday, September 3, 2026

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Carriageworks

Drawing upon his Ngadjon-jii and Mamu ancestry, and his enduring connection to Country in the Atherton Tablelands and rainforests of Far North Queensland, Mellor's multidisciplinary practice explores Australia's shared histories and the complex relationships between culture, memory, and landscape.

Artist Talk, Exhibition Tour, VIP

In Conversation: William Yang and Meg Hewitt on digitising the artist’s archive, ‘The Analogue Archives’

Friday, September 4, 2026

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Haymarket

Join renowned photographer William Yang (b.1943) and studio collaborator Meg Hewitt (b.1973) for an intimate studio visit, as they demonstrate their work digitising Yang's archive of original negatives for the New South Wales State Library's ongoing acquisition of Yang's analogue archive.

Artist Booth Talk: Oliver Abbott

Friday, September 4, 2026

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Carriageworks

Join Oliver Abbott in conversation on his innovative approach to painting, where digital technologies and traditional image-making intersect. Using digital world-building tools, Abbott constructs ever-expanding virtual terrains that serve as the foundation for his landscape paintings.

Artist Booth Talk: Derek Ogbourne

Friday, September 4, 2026

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM

Carriageworks

Meet BCFA's exhibiting artist, Derek Ogbourne -born High Wycombe UK. Derek is an Internationally acclaimed, multi-disciplinary artist and will discuss the connection of his paintings to his extensive oeuvre. Trained at the prestigious Slade School of Art, University College London, he will also discuss aspects of painting techniques and the meaning of his series from 2020-2026.

Artist Talk, Photo Sydney

Artist Booth Talk: Alexia Sinclair, ‘The Age of Wonder’

Friday, September 4, 2026

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Carriageworks

In this informal artist talk, Alexia will share the inspiration, research and meticulous creative process behind The Age of Wonder, offering insights into the making of individual artworks and the stories that shaped the series. She will also present her newly released book, featuring the complete body of work.

Artist Talk, Photo Sydney

Artist Booth Talk: Mark Forbes, ‘How I collect memories’

Friday, September 4, 2026

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Carriageworks

Come and listen to Melbourne artist Mark Forbes talk about his approach to his arts practice, and how he uses traditional film photography techniques to capture and share memories. Mark will talk about of the large colour limited edition prints on display and in his photobook Collect memories, and also share some back stories behind the work.

Artist Talk: Fowlers Gap Artist Residency with Arthouse Gallery

Friday, September 4, 2026

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Carriageworks

Join us at Arthouse Gallery's booth (C07) for a series of artist talks exploring the works created through the Fowlers Gap artist residencies. Developed across two expeditions to the remote research station in far northwest New South Wales, these works reflect on the landscape's ecological fragility, deep time and enduring First Nations histories. Hear directly from participating artists including Jo Davenport, Kate Dorrough, Belinda Fox, Ian Greig, Clifford How, Amelia Lynch, Lauren O'Connor, Colin Pennock, Hobie Porter, Robyn Sweaney, Emma Walker, Shona Wilson and Joshua Yeldham as they discuss their experiences and creative responses to this remarkable environment.

Artist Booth Talk: Joseph McGlennon, ‘Dark Vivarium’

Friday, September 4, 2026

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Carriageworks

Join gallery artist Joseph McGlennon as he takes us through his new series Dark Vivarium. Situating itself within a lineage of ornithological study in the scientific and aesthetic traditions of the Victorian era, these images are not constructed through artificial means but are grounded in direct engagement in the natural world.

Artist Booth Talk: Alfred Lowe, ‘The Stars are Blind’

Friday, September 4, 2026

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Carriageworks

Join us in the Sabbia booth as Alfred discusses his ceramic and fibre-based practice, exploring identity, land, and the intersection of cultural tradition and the modern world. The Stars are Blind celebrates fate, community, and love. These works stand boldly, brightly, and joyfully, offering a powerful testament to resilience, connection and shared strength.

Artist Booth Talk: Dr Saffron Newey

Friday, September 4, 2026

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Carriageworks

In conversation with Sophie Vander, Director of Curatorial+Co., Dr Saffron Newey discusses her interdisciplinary practice spanning painting, drawing, and digital media, as well as her interrogation of the internet's impact on the original art object.

Artist Booth Talk: Harriet Goodall and Ochre Lawson

Friday, September 4, 2026

6:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Carriageworks

Please join us at booth F03 for an informal conversation and tour of our Sydney Contemporary presentation. Harriet Goodall and Ochre Lawson will be present and discussing their practices and works for the fair. We look forward to meeting with visitors and helping them to discover these exciting artists and their work.

Artist Booth Talk: Grace Lillian Lee

Friday, September 4, 2026

6:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Carriageworks

Grace Lillian Lee is a pioneering Australian First Nations artist whose practice reimagines the traditional Torres Strait Islander "grasshopper" weaving technique through ambitious sculptural and wearable works. Her work explores identity, cultural continuity, and innovation, and is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Artist Booth Talk: Kenny Pittock, ‘It must be a sign!’

Saturday, September 5, 2026

11:30 AM – 11:50 AM

Carriageworks

Join artist Kenny Pittock as he discusses his latest body of work, created for the MARS Gallery presentation 'Radical Joy' at Sydney Contemporary 2026. Throughout the talk Kenny will share the ways he finds meaning in the seemingly mundane, to playfully reveal the humour and the human in our everyday lives.