Sally Dan-Cuthbert reflects on the founding ethos of the gallery, Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, and its commitment to blurring the boundaries between contemporary art and design. Grounded in material intelligence and conceptual rigour, the programme brings together artists and designers working at the intersection of function, form and fine art.
We spoke with Sally Dan-Cuthbert on the gallery’s current exhibition, Fine Design and Objets d’Art, which invites a return to a more considered way of living with art where craft, beauty and innovation converge, and collecting becomes an expansive, cross-disciplinary practice.
Installation Image, Fine Design and Object d’Art, Pictured: TibetSydney, Rhoda Ting & Mikkel Bojesen, Sabine Marcelis, Damien Wright, Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Photography Simon Hewson
Can you tell us about the founding of Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, what motivated you to establish the gallery?
Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert was established in 2019, the first of its kind in Australia to deliver an intergenerational programme of rigorous contemporary art, objets d’art and collectible design by local and international artists and designers.
Our motivation was to deliver a programme that celebrates diverse approaches to media across art and design, with carefully orchestrated intersections of these parallel disciplines. The gallery presents solo exhibitions, alongside curated group exhibitions, and participates in prestigious fairs and festivals internationally.
Importantly, represented artists and designers regularly exhibit in surveys, biennales, and significant thematic exhibitions in notable institutions globally. Their work is collected into important public and private collections around the world.
Prue Venables, Deep blue cadence, 2025, thrown Jingdezhen porcelain, thrown and altered Limoges porcelain, 16 x 28 x 28 cm, 28 x 10 x 8 cm
How would you describe the gallery’s philosophy, and how has it evolved since its opening in 2019?
The gallery’s philosophy is to offer collectors and enthusiasts alike an opportunity to engage with contemporary work that honours both innovation and timeless quality. Incorporating all the visual arts: painting, photography, film, textiles, ceramics and sculpture together with refined functional pieces. We present work that blurs the traditional boundaries between disciplines.
The philosophy remains the same just the roster of represented artist and opportunities has grown significantly.
Your upcoming exhibition brings together design and objects. How does ‘Fine Design and Objets d’art’ reflect the gallery’s mission to bridge contemporary art and collectible design?
Fine Design and Objets d’Art is a carefully curated exhibition celebrating the intersection of artistic excellence and functional beauty. Bringing together gallery artists from around the world, this exhibition showcases practitioners working at the pinnacle of their respective fields, each pushing the boundaries of art, objects, and design with distinctive vision and mastery.
Installation Image, Fine Design and Object d’Art, Pictured: Izabela Pluta, Prue Venables, Edward Waring, Tibet Sydney, Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Photography Simon Hewson.
What conversations or reflections do you hope people take from ‘Fine Design and Object d’art’?
The exhibition invites a return to the thoughtful, holistic approach to living with art, the ethos of the gallery. It revives the spirit of a golden age when artists of all disciplines coalesced, and homes were layered with carefully chosen pieces, where collections reflected the full spectrum of creative expression beyond paintings alone. These artists share a commitment to exceptional craft and conceptual rigour, creating pieces that are as contemplative as they are exquisitely made.
Looking ahead, what exhibitions, collaborations, or projects are you most excited about, and what can audiences look forward to from the gallery in the coming year?
Fine Design and Objets d’Art sets an inspiring tone for the gallery’s year ahead. In March, we present Tammy Kanat’s debut, solo exhibition, followed by rising star, Olive Gill-Hille’s third solo exhibition. Straight after her opening at the NGV with Cartier, Sabine Marcelis presents exquisite new art and design pieces in the gallery in June. In the second half of the year, we present female doyens of Australian art – new paintings by Sally Smart, then Gabo: light works by Donna Marcus, and the gallery’s much anticipated, first solo exhibition by Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalist, Prue Venables.
The gallery will also participate in major fairs, including Sydney Contemporary and Aotearoa Art Fair. We have artists participating in important local and international museum exhibitions and biennales. We are excited that a number of major public works and private commissions will also come to fruition.
Critically, we look forward to continuing our engagement in and out of the gallery in deep and meaningful ways with our artists, curators, writers and collectors to support the broader arts community.
Fine Design and Objets d’Art continues until 8 March
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