Artist Gemma Smith is an acclaimed painter and sculptor whose abstract works have appeared in more than 100 exhibitions in Australia and internationally including at the Art Gallery NSW and National Gallery of Australia. Our 2025 New Artist in Residence at Concordia Gallery, Gemma is helping Newington art students be more open to the moment.

As the College’s current New Artist in Residence, Gemma Smith has spent the last months sharing insights with Newington Year 11 HSC and IB art students. These include a focus on colour and approaches to abstraction through the expansive field of painting. Gemma’s practice is exemplified by her exuberant expansive works such as Compression Dissolve 2024, currently on display as part of ‘The Intelligence of Painting’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Sydney. Another of her paintings, Windward 2023, is a finalist in this year’s Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. Gemma comes to Newington after completing a studio residency program at Sydney’s Artspace and is represented by Sullivan and Strumpf in Alexandria.

It is working with students, Gemma says, which often provide unexpected insights. Guided by systems of chance, gesture and Gemma’s quiet oversight, Newington students worked collaboratively on large scale wall paintings. Alongside this, they also experimented with individual compositions on paper. The resulting works will be shown in Studio Tactics, an exhibition at Concordia Gallery opening Thursday 19 June.

Gemma says she is interested in teaching students to each find their own way into painting.

‘For me, part of my role is about encouraging the students not to think about that analytical part of their brain that can take over, and to help them to set up possibilities to be in the moment, and be open to what happens.’

Gemma also attended the Year 11 Art camp, with a presentation of her various approaches to painting over her 25 year career. Additionally, Newington students took a trip to MCA with Gemma to see her large-scale work in situ.

‘I really like the freedom of creating on a larger scale, and I wanted the students to explore that here, and to experience that freedom and immersive nature of the large format approach.’

Gemma says she is equally pleased and impressed by the resulting body of work by Newington students in Studio Tactics.

‘Standing here, looking at the large wall projects the students worked on collaboratively, I think they have come up so well and they are all quite compelling.’

Students too felt they gained from Gemma’s residency.

Says Sam K, ‘having Gemma speak to us in person made it feel like what we were doing was more real and important than just a task being written out, something that wouldn’t inspire me. The work was a lot more impressive in person than just seeing it online. Also, learning about her practice and the way she finds inspiration was good for my artwork.’

Arlo N also had some observations.

‘My key take away was the ‘process’ in which you can create art. I am currently following this ‘process’ and have found it very helpful in directing a project and following different paths to create a piece that I enjoy.’

New Artist in Residence was established at Concordia Gallery, Newington in 2013 as a visionary model to expose our art students to acclaimed artists and the world-centre art making process. Spearheaded by a curating as pedagogy approach to teaching art, Newington’s Artist in Residence program is overseen by Ms Hannah Chapman, Newington Visual Arts teacher and Concordia Curator. It is underpinned by collaborative practices where the focus is on the process of creating. Previous Artists in Residence include Anne Zalhaka, Stuart Ringholt, Jason Phu, Mikala Dwyer, Mike Hewsen and Andrew Liversidge.

Studio Tactics opens Thursday 19th June 5pm to 7pm and closes Thursday 26th June.

Exhibiting Newington students are Joseph A, Peter A, Max B, Bango B, Baxter C, Lucas C, Harper C, Luca CB, Theo D, Ky-Mani D, Owen F, Matthew H, Remi J, Jameson K, Sam K, Luca K, Oliver M, Harry O, Arlo N, Hugo N, Jasper P, Leo P, Jude R, Oliver S, Henry W, Lewin W, Massimo Z.

Concordia Gallery is open Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm and Saturdays by appointment.