8 Australian Artists Creating Tiny Artwork That Makes A Big Statement!

Ingrid Kwong

Largely inspired by her seaside surroundings at Pittwater bay in Sydney, artist Ingrid Kwong regularly creates collections of seascapes and landscapes on small, salvaged pieces of wood. The size of her pieces also makes them perfect for gift giving!

‘I love capturing the mood and colours of a place and when painting them on the rustic timber, the wood grain adds depth and character to the paintings,’ Ingrid says. ‘It is rewarding to create a new memory on an old piece of wood that has its own story to tell.’

Price range: $200 – $400

Where to buy: Directly through Ingrid’s website and Instagram

Gillian Adamson

There’s a certain nostalgia about Newcastle painter Gillian Adamson’s work. Whether it reminds you of your grandparents’ home or an old sharehouse you once lived in, the familiarity of the mundane in Gillian’s art evokes various emotions and a sense of warmth.

Inspired by her own grandparents’ house, the multidisciplinary artist became fascinated with simple and ‘unaesthetic’ homes and would trawl real estate listings for similar houses that would later inspire her paintings. You might find acrylic and gouache impressions of a dated bathroom or kitchen, mixed with themes of spirituality. Gillian’s pieces also come as small as 7×7 cm!

Price range: $250 – $550

Where to buy: Directly through Gillian’s website, or from AK Bellinger Gallery

Margaret Dix

Plein air painting is the foundation of Sydney artist Margaret Dix’s practice. To get inspired, she often disappears for a period of time to camp and immerse herself in nature, all whilst building up a body of tiny oil paintings.

‘Small pieces leave no room for error,’ Margaret says. ‘Each mark needs to be considered.’

There’s some familiarity in her work, which often captures scenic Australian landscapes including Cape Schanck in Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula, and NSW coastal towns like Eden and Cunjurong Point.

Price range: $750

Where to buy: Directly from Margaret’s website

Kate Wallace

Melbourne artist Kate Wallace, represented by LON Gallery in Richmond, describes her work as sensitive, quiet and still. She is often drawn to her surrounding landscapes, both the familiar and the unknown, and says there is something incredibly intimate — and equally strange — about working on a small scale.

Kate’s art captures the simple beauty in things like gardens, bedrooms, windows or doorways, and her tiny paintings offer ‘miniature’ portals to various places. The perfect addition to your home!

Price range: $1850 – $3000

Where to buy: LON Gallery or contact Kate directly through Instagram or email

James Riches

Melbourne painter James Riches takes his inspiration from his local area in Reservoir, in the city’s north. But he also attributes a significant inspiration to Australian impressionism, particularly the ‘fleeting palette of changing skies’ that offers a narrative touched with nostalgia in his work.

Growing up, James consumed art largely at a handheld scale from illustrated magazines and comics — which led to his desire to create his own art within smaller size confines.

‘I love compressing a potentially large scale but quiet subject matter into something that invites closer inspection and hopefully its own sense of immersion,’ he says.

Price range: $530 – $960

Where to buy: Brunswick Street Gallery’s online store or Fitzroy stockroom

Rosy Lloyd

For UK-born painter Rosy Lloyd, tiny paintings are generally studies for her larger works. She says, ‘working small allows me to simplify and paint with abandon’.

Rosy specialises in oil paintings, both on canvas and wood, and enjoys creating a mix of portraits, landscapes, abstract works and impressionism that she describes as ‘enigmatic, intuitive and tonal’. Her 10×10 cm Magnetic canvas series comprising sets of three oil paintings makes for the perfect trio to add to your wall!

Price range: From $450

Where to buy: Directly from Rosy’s website, Sydney studio, or contact her directly through Instagram

Anita Holloway

If you love your furry friends, you’re likely to love ceramicist Anita Holloway’s tiny ceramic paintings too. Often featuring a stray cat or people with their dogs, Anita likes to focus on the simple things in life. You might notice a sense of awkwardness, melancholy or humour in her work, which tends to reflect upon certain feelings and moments in time. Plus, they’re super cute!

‘When something is small and precious we tend to say ‘awww’, which is another reason why I love the idea of creating something small,’ Anita says.

Price range: $200 – $450

Where to buy: Sunday Salon

Shanti Shea An

Using mostly oil and watercolours, Sydney-based artist Shanti Shea An draws her inspiration from a range of sources to create various figurative and abstract pieces. Whilst mostly working with mass media, art history and personal photographs, she’s recently been using parts of film stills in her work and thinking about how imagery can be translated from one medium into another.

When it comes to her tiny paintings, Shanti says, ‘I like the intensity that comes from working small as I find that it invites close looking and a feeling of intimacy’.

Price range: $300 – $700

Where to buy: Directly through Shanti’s website or select pieces at Brunswick Street Gallery’s stockroom in Fitzroy