Flight of the Sirens explores the mythology of the siren, offering a reimagined perspective through a series of vibrant, aerial seascapes. Large-scale pastel paintings, seen as if through the eyes of a siren in flight, reveal the sea as both refuge and realm.
Sirens, originally rooted in ancient Greek mythology, were not the mermaids of contemporary imagination but enigmatic figures—half-bird, half-woman—whose songs spoke of knowledge and transcendence. Over time, mythologies recast them, shifting their identity from powerful, independent beings to cautionary figures of temptation.
In this exhibition, dramatic, sweeping seascapes reclaim the spirit of the siren through the interplay of colour, depth, and form. Flight of the Sirens is an ode to the transformative power of perspective and a celebration of the siren as a symbol of freedom and transcendence.
Amy Dynan is an award-winning artist, renowned for her nuanced balance between conceptual rigour and classical skills.
Amy's paintings are rich in sublime imagery and draw on various periods throughout art history including Impressionism, Surrealism, and Abstraction. For Amy, the question in art is not what is sublime but how do we access it? Her work explores how we encounter sublime moments and the reverence that emerges through relationship with nature. Permeating her work is a love for the Australian landscape—the clarity of light, the boundlessness of sky, and the classic burnt colours of country.
Amy holds a Master of Contemporary Art and Master of Fine Arts from The University of Sydney. Amy has been a finalist in numerous prizes including the Dobell Drawing Prize, Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize, JADA Art Prize and John Leslie Landscape Prize, and has been selected for residencies in France, Norway, Hill End, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Tweed Regional Gallery and Bundanon Trust (William Fletcher Scholarship).
Amy has held three sell out solo exhibitions at Stanley Street Gallery, ‘Water’ (2019), ‘Skytalk’ (2021) and 'Sublime' (2023).
Amy Dynan, Above the Salt Path, 2025, pastel on paper, 160 x 110 x 9 cm, Image COTA
Amy Dynan
Flight of the Sirens
May 22-June 14, 2025