When we went to Poly one Sunday evening, I was expecting a few nice glasses of wine with friends, accompanied by some light bar snacks to end the weekend. Maybe a selection of cheeses, some cured meats and house-baked bread. I was not expecting, however,…
Artistic pursuits are aplenty in Sydney, but it can be daunting to know where to start. There’s a smorgasbord of big institutions, public installations, experimental events, ticketed experiences, private collections and everything in between. Here’s a guide to what’s around, so you can decide what…
The Sydney donut scene is rather excellent at the moment – lots of variety and something new seems to be popping up all the time. Here are a few recent circular-shaped, baked goods I’ve enjoyed! GRUMPY DONUTS I recently tried Grumpy Donuts and they were…
We’ve all heard of Duchamp and can pull him instantly into conversation with the utterance of one word: urinal. But did you know that before he became ubiquitous in art history for his ready-made objects, he was a highly skilled painter? And whilst he created…
Small town charm, antiques, scrumptious pastries – the perfect region for a day-trip out of Sydney. My guide to Mittagong, Bowral and Berrima.
I hadn’t bought a new foundation since 2015 but now I’m excited for my shiny new make-up look.
A quirky and effortlessly entertaining read set in the highly-regimented world of a convenience store, told through the eyes of the odd and endearing Keiko Furukura.
In addition to expertly blended small-batch gins, Sydney-based Archie Rose Distillery offers gin blending workshops and sneak peak tours into their behind-the-scenes processes. Named after a slang word for illegally distilled alcohol (Archie) and its suburban location (Rosbery), Archie Rose is full of passion and…
These are a few of my (April) favourite things ⏠READ Lincoln In The Bardo by George Saunders â As a non-fiction fan, this book (a fictitious imagining of Abraham Lincolnâs time in the graveyard with his deceased 10 year old son Willie) would not have…
Young, playful, dapper Warhol. Worldly, fashionable, commercial adman. In the 1950s, Andy Warholâs formative years as a commercial illustrator resulted in a plethora of chic, witty and elegant illustrations, advertisements, fragrance displays and magazine covers. Adman: Warhol before pop at the Art Gallery of NSW…
Kate Banazi’s compositions are oftentimes energetic: forms twisting; waves bending like audio signals; circles that look like they’ve been ricocheted around the picture plane. Perhaps this energy comes from Kate herself, who is infectiously humorous and most commonly found with a big smile on her face. I spoke with Kate in…
 Tapas is one of my top-five favourite meal structures, up there with buffets, street food, yum cha and sushi trains. A little bit of this and a little bit of that, all designed to share; tapas requires that you order a variety of small dishes…
A few months ago, I set my alarm to a crazy 3:45am. Waking up, getting dressed and getting into the car whilst the world was still a slumber felt surreal. But it was all worth it! The Sydney Flower Markets (Flemington) are visited each morning by…
Sometimes cheeky, always thoughtful; the works of contemporary jewellery artist Melinda Young are a reflection of a lifelong affinity with creating. An organic extension of her approach to life at large, Melindaâs works consist of a balance between theoretical research and contemplation with bursts of wicked humour.…
“It’s not always pink ribbons and charity runs. Breast cancer is often glamourised and commercialised.” – Vanessa T (October 15, 1981- February 23, 2014) Upon viewing the first photograph of David Jay’s The SCAR Project, a portrait of a young girl named Leah P standing aside a large…
Orto translates to ‘vegetable garden’ in Italian. But in my books, it translates to om nom nom nom nom. Ambience: Orto is bright and spacious, cool and friendly. An exposed brick feature wall, fresh flowers on each table, and large glass walls/doors mingle the outdoor and indoor…
So this is Southern food! A one way ticket to Mississippi please! Ambience: Miss Peaches – consisting of booths, tall tables with stools, a bar, a balcony, a DJ space, and a dance floor – is groovy and comforting. The large restaurant space is made cosy with warm, dim lighting;…
Silk and wool are Bee Bowen‘s blank canvas, flowers and leaves her palette. Whilst having learnt various dyeing techniques in India and Japan, it is Bee’s use of local, Australian flora that create the distinctive patterns and colours of her textiles. The leaves and flowers picked by Bee leave detailed…
With dishes featuring the likes of marrow, pigs tails, and tripe, the nose-to-tail philosophy of 4Fourteen makes for an intriguing mealtime. Ambience: 4Fourteen is light and bright at lunchtime. The wall-sized window and tall ceiling give the restaurant an airy, spacious feel, whilst the exposed brick feature wall…
Su-An Ngâs films are powerful in their refined style. But extensive  sketches, research, planning, and hands-on experimentation are all part of her artistic process. Working with a combination of animation techniques including digital, hand drawn, stop motion and 3D animation, Su-Anâs films have a tactile characteristic that…
The playful nature of Ms G’s is indicated by its name, a cheeky take on the notorious food enhancer MSG. With its urban street interior decor paired with a stunning view of the Sydney city, Ms G’s is four stories of tasty dishes that play on Asian cuisine standards, served up…
Last July, my friend Mark had colour added to some of his tattoos, and let me tag along to see the process. What was your first tattoo? Is there a story behind it? Well, my first tattoo was a gold fish. It was designed by my older…
Vivid Sydney – festival of lights, music and ideas – has certainly taken it up a notch over the past few years (click here to see my photos from 2010)! Whilst there were quite a number of special events that had been put on as part of…
A little while ago Lucinda and I visited designer Kaylene Milner at her studio, for a feature published in Curium magazine. It was a treat to get a behind the scenes look at Kaylene’s design process – definitely one to watch! These photos didn’t make it into the magazine, so I thought…
Kieran Butler is an artist and fellow COFA honours student. Working within the field of post-photography, Kieran is currently investigating notions of vision by exploring the perception of colour.  Sculpture, installation, and video are also used in Kieran’s practice to create works that question the nature of the photographic…