Australian artist Odessa Mahony-de Vries is propelled by the materiality of paint and colour, channeling them into an active exploration of process that mirrors life itself, a series of actions and reactions, where openness and adaptability lead the way. She works quickly and intuitively, surrendering control to follow where the work leads her, finding beauty in the unexpected. Her art becomes a dance of intuition and muscle memory, with each mark, texture, and boundary representing a willingness to embrace mistakes, discoveries, and transformation. This approach brings a sense of vulnerability to her large-scale 2D paintings, luminous digital works, and ceramic sculptures.
Odessa’s sculptures, which evolve from her paintings, showcase the malleability of the material and create spatial dialogues that embody the negotiation between maker and medium. Her process is one of setting boundaries only to dismantle them, extending paint and blurring lines to reveal the essence of what each piece wants to be. In doing so, Odessa’s work speaks to the importance of being open and finding delight in the surprises that arise along the way.
She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from RMIT, with exhibition highlights including Betwixt at Webb Gallery, Queensland College of Art, Brisbane (2021), PAINT at Noosa Regional Gallery (2022), and North of the Silver Phoenix, Umbrella Studio Contemporary