From international artists to home-grown talent; from old masterpieces preserved over centuries to installations assembled here in Perth; from landscape paintings to photos and film exhibitions.
Use our shortlist to decide what to see or check our Visual Arts page for a comprehensive guide to the 70+ exhibitions on right now. And don't miss out on our lowdown on the best shows opening in March - subscribe to our Visual Arts newsletter.
Highlights
A Window on Italy – The Corsini Collection: Masterpieces from FlorenceNow - Jun 18, Art Gallery of WA
Featuring Renaissance and Baroque paintings by artists such as Botticelli and Caravaggio – these works survived the devastation of World War II and the great flood of Florence. This is the first and only showing in Australia.
Jules Sher - Above and BeyondNow - Mar 11, Linton & Kay Subiaco
These formal landscape paintings are based on an aesthetic awareness of nature’s elements. The horizon line separating earth and sky is a constant theme in all Sher’s works. "As a landscape painter living in Western Australia, it is impossible not to be affected by the fierce light, intense colour, immense space and endless horizons of this extraordinary landscape," Jules Sher.
LumineuxMar 3 - Mar 28, Margaret River Gallery
Lumineux is a group exhibition by three WA artists, working in vastly different mediums, each exploring light, colour and form; Myra Mitchell paintings, Salli Coppin jewellery and Gerry Reilly glass. Coppin’s newly designed pieces show the raw beauty of her materials in stunning wearable pieces, capturing light and colour through the use of metals and gems
Perth Festival Exhibitions
Kimsooja – Zone of NowhereNow - Apr 25, PICA
Paris’ Centre Pompidou described Kimsooja as ‘one of the most influential multidisciplinary conceptual artists of her generation’. This is her first solo show in Australia and features a public art project throughout the streets of Perth and an installation of 30 large translucent flags suspended above PICA’s central gallery space.
Zadok Ben-David - Human NatureNow - Apr 21, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery
It took 60 volunteers a week to install the 20,000+ miniature plants that form one of two breathtaking installations by Zadok Ben-David. The miniature plants resemble a bushfire-ravaged landscape, only to reveal new life. Human Nature brings a touch of magic to issues such as our relationship to nature.
Lisa Reihana - EmissariesNow - Apr 22, John Curtin Gallery
Lisa Reihana’s Emissaries was highlighted by numerous international media outlets as one of the best at La Biennale di Venezia. The artwork is a filmic reimagining of a 200-year old French Neoclassical scenic wallpaper Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique, popularised as ‘Captain Cook’s Voyages’.
Christopher Charles - BanjawarnNow - Mar 3, Gallery Central
Christopher Charles explores Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo and their time in remote Western Australia. Incorporating site artefacts, this exhibition is a fascinating expedition into the mythology of a cult.
Pilar Mata Dupont - Undesirable BodiesNow - Apr 6, FORM Gallery
Dupont examines the legacies of colonisation. Through stunning photographs and video, she explores a story of invasion and conservation in the Pilbara country of the Yindjibarndi people.
Zadok Ben-David: Human Nature
Local Artists on Display
Bevan Honey - Gone to DotNow - Mar 10, Turner Galleries
In this exhibition of new large-scale drawings Bevan depicts objects that are loosely connected by urban notions of leisure and luxury. The title of the exhibition implicates these objects as now having a trading value worth zero.
Southern PerspectivesNow - Mar 18, Heathcote Cultural Precinct
A unique opportunity to experience thought-provoking artworks by some of the state's most talented young artists. The exhibition showcases artworks by Year 12 Visual Arts Students who graduated from selected high schools south of the river in 2017.
Paul LucasNow - Mar 11, Gallows Gallery
Paul Lucas has been inspired by the Australian landscape since moving to Australia from England in 1963. His current muse is the ocean, particularly the areas surrounding the Abrolhos Islands, a subject he became fascinated with after working on Cray boats.
Bevan Honey: Kingman
Photography
Cynthia Verspaget - Extended LandfallNow - Mar 17, Perth Centre for Photography
Extended Landfall is the instinctive ‘knowing’ of oncoming land by ancient seafarers through sensory anomalies. The exhibition is set from the artist’s view as the daughter of an immigrant family who arrived on the shores of Fremantle before settling in Australia.
Natasja Kremers/Angela Mitchell - FemmeNow - Mar 9, PS Art Space Fremantle
A creative collaboration between two artists: photographer Natasja Kremers and illustrator Angela Mitchell. A fusion of gritty, raw photography and delicate overlaying illustrations results in a series of surreal artworks.
Angela Mitchell / Natasja Kremers: Femme
The Regional Art Scene
Removing the TracesNow - Jun 3, The Holmes à Court Gallery
An exciting group exhibition that shares significant abstract works representing the essence of land, forest and water in the south-west landscapes from the Janet Holmes à Court Collection.
Kerry Nobbs Ocean Series 1Now - Mar 12, Jah Roc Galleries
Kerry Nobbs zones in on the energy of the ocean, stormy seas and crashing waves. His portrayal of movement in the water with its foaming white wash results in a stunning representation of our big blue.
Kerry Nobbs Ocean Series 8
Want more? Head to our Visual Arts page for a comprehensive guide on the 70+ exhibitions going on in WA.
Featured Image: Tassi Agostino: Fiera di Grottaferrata