Self Portrait - St Andrews Exhibition

Thursday, 27 July – Friday 6 October 2023
St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital

Level 3
457 Wickham Terrace,
Spring Hill QLD 4000

Access Arts hosted its fifth visual arts exhibition within the walls of St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital from July to October! This year’s visual arts display is titled Self-Portrait and offers a glimpse into the rich and unique life experiences of twenty-one visual artists from Access Arts. 

Through painting, drawing, mixed media, photography, and digital art, each artist shares what brings meaning to their lives and how they view their own character, personality and identity.

Some artists have expressed aspects of their personality by portraying animals such as an majestic owl and the charming highland cow. Others have captured themselves engaging in activities they love such as painting, enjoying a coffee, strolling along the beach, immersing themselves in the ocean, exploring the depths through scuba diving, and embarking on drives around Mount Coot-tha. Whilst other artists have sought to give meaning to their life experiences through abstract imagery and symbolism. 

Visual artist Sue Yule, whose artwork style is illustrative, colourful and nature-based, said she worked on a digital platform to create her artwork Underwater Women for Self-Portrait. Sue says it’s been her favourite artwork to create as it shares a glimpse of Sue and an aspect of her life the audience has not seen before.

I felt more at home under the water than I did on the boat - like the Underwater Woman. My painting is reflecting back on those days.

Sue Yule

Jai Philips, whose self-described style is a little bit rustic and industrial but with attention to detail, says that his self-portrait is of him as one of his cartoon characters from ‘The Wild Triplets’ series he has created. He has used this character to tell the audience of who is he, and what he likes doing.

“My artwork presents me as a happy character and a confident person who enjoys making art and soon to be doing new things that I’m looking forward to in the future”

Jai said of his artwork titled JBP Studios Self-Portrait.

Each artist that has created artwork for this exhibition provides the audience with the opportunity to walk away knowing a bit more about each artist, and their individual style. Through their art, we learn that Levi Diball is smashing her fitness goals in Smashing It!, artist Tanya Darl shares her love of the Australian Outback, the native trees and the beautiful Australian sky in To Feel Good – Australian Outback. And Michael Mulvey shares his love of an iconic Brisbane location Mt Coot-Tha and the TV towers in Five Towers. All 21 visual artists have opened their worlds to share what brings meaning to their lives and offers the viewer the delightful opportunity to get to know the artist behind the creative work.

You can visit the artwork on Level 3 St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital or view it online at Protected: Self Portrait – Access Arts. All artwork is for sale.

Created by artists from Access Arts’ Brisbane Outsider Artists studio, Self-Portrait is presented by Access Arts, and kindly supported by St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, MinterEllison, Brisbane City Council through the Lord Mayor’s Community Fund and Cr Vicki Howard – Central Ward, and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. 