10 top picks for Sydney Contemporary, 8-11 Sept

“Sydney Contemporary is actually my favourite art fair. Anywhere,” says Natalia Ottolenghi Bradshaw. Natalia is the chair of the UNSW Galleries Advisory Board, Australian Museum Foundation Trustee, and Member UNSW Faculty Arts, Design and Architecture Advisory Council. She is also a highly regarded art advisor and collections manager with a known eye for the work of established and emerging artists.

“It’s a rigorous celebration of our robust local visual arts ecosystem, one that is dynamic and of exceptional quality,” says Natalia of the Sydney Contemporary art fair, which runs 8-11 September 2022.

“It’s hard to pick just 10 galleries amongst the many more participating in Sydney Contemporary – but these came to mind (listed alphabetically!) – because I deal with them often, know many of their artists personally, and know that these galleries look after their artists well,” she says.

“They also show ‘museum quality’ work that in the main is a requisite of what I look for – and certainly not an indication of price, as some works I’m visualising in this list are less than $3000.”

1. Darren Knight Gallery

Kushana Bush, This Sacrifice, 2021, gouache, metallic paint and watercolour on paper, 39.25 x 50.5 cm, courtesy the artist and Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney. darrenknightgallery.com

2. Dominik Mersch Gallery

Lottie Consalvo, A Holding Place, 2022, acrylic on board, 200 x 120 cm, courtesy the artist and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney. dominikmerschgallery.com

3. Gallery Sally Dan Cuthbert

Donna Marcus, Sown, 2022 Aluminium, adhesive, steel 130 x 150 x 13 cm, curtesy the artist and Gallery Sally Dan Cuthbert. gallerysallydancuthbert.com

4. Kronenberg Mais Wright

Mel O’Callaghan, VANADIUM, 2021, acrylic paint and pigment on glass, 140 x 160 cm, courtesy the artists and Kronenberg Mais Wright, Sydney. kronenbergmaiswright.com

5. N. Smith Gallery

Joan Ross, On taking possession of the land, 2022, hand-painted digital print on rag paper, 76 x 100cm, courtesy the artist and N. Smith Gallery, Sydney. nsmithgallery.com

6. Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery

James Angus, New Gold Dream, 2022, steel, enamel paint, 122 x 125 x 60 cm, courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney. roslynoxley9.com.au

7. Sullivan+Strumpf

Tony Albert, Interior Composition (with Appropriated Aboriginal Design Vase) V, 2022, acrylic and vintage appropriated fabric on Arches paper, 57 x 38cm, 68 x 47.5 x 6.2 cm (framed), courtesy the artists and Sullivan+Strumpf Gallery, Sydney. sullivanstrumpf.com

8. The Commercial

Diena Georgetti, romantic CAMPAIGN, 2022, acrylic on canvas, custom frame, 106.5 x 98.25 x 4cm, courtesy the artist and The Commercial, Sydney. thecommercialgallery.com