JANE GUTHLEBEN

Through still life paintings of indigenous flowers, birds, and insects, Guthleben uses the traditions of vanitas and its messages of the transience of life to present a painted vernacular that spans humour, kitsch, and historical and environmental themes. She reinterprets the delicate floral masterpieces of Dutch Golden Age painting by amping up the colour and light in response to the Australian environment and emphasising the texture and diversity of indigenous flora in brushy impasto.

Guthleben’s practice also explores the ways botanical collections and natural history records shape our understanding of Australia’s flora and fauna. Through vibrant, imaginative arrangements of native species and birds, she reinterprets archival references into playful contemporary compositions. Her paintings balance beauty and whimsy with subtle reflections on habitat, history, and the changing relationship between nature and human culture.