Amy Dynan: Artist Statement & Bio

"I use the framework of beauty to explore the relationship between humanity and nature. My large-scale pastel paintings merge photorealism with abstract sensibilities to document moments of sublimity, transition and fragility in nature. The dynamics of light and dark work as a metaphor for the opposing forces in nature and in ourselves, creating landscapes that hover between land and sky, material and ethereal.

For me, drawing is a lens through which the spectrum of our existence is revealed, and a means to marvel at how lucky we are to feel it fully. To this end my work documents nature in flux and celebrates the beauty of what we stand to lose.”  

Amy Dynan is an award-winning early-career artist, renowned for her nuanced balance between conceptual rigour and classical drawing skills. Dynan sees drawing as a fundamental means of expression that is often overlooked as a preparatory stage in lieu of master artworks and is driven to continue to contribute to contemporary drawing in Australia. According to Dynan, “drawing is the most intuitive stage of the creative process and I want to continue to bring awareness to drawing as the veritable art form that it is.”

Following a ‘tree-change’ to Wagga Wagga in 2012, Dynan pursued her love of drawing and held her first exhibition ‘Solitude’, an experience which cemented her desire to pursue an artistic practice professionally.Upon returning to Sydney, Dynan pursued a Master of Contemporary Art and Master of Fine Arts at Sydney College of the Arts, developing a strong conceptual framework of beauty as a means to explore human relationships with the natural world.

“As a visual artist, research can offer a deeper, more profound connection to the significance of one’s own art practice in a field beyond the studio. I knew that my passion for drawing, combined with rigorous institutional and art world scrutiny and support would provide the necessary framework to further my aesthetic.”

Dynan’s career has since taken off. In 2019, her solo exhibition ‘Water’ sold out and she was selected for Sydney Contemporary Art Fair; has been a finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize in 2019 and 2021, and also a finalist in the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize for 2018, 2019 & 2021. Dynan has been selected for art residencies in France, Norway and Iceland in 2018 and in 2020 in the Hill End, Mornington Peninsula and Gunyah programs.

Amy Dynan: CV September, 2021