2026 Artist-in-Residence

Shona Wilson engages with permutations of the natural world in intricate, awe-inspiring assemblages that zoom in on the overlooked and unseen. Her practice amplifies and decontextualises the micro, drawing attention to the wonder of seemingly ‘insignificant’ elements of the everyday. She treats nature’s materials as repositories of information, stories and knowledge, describing them as “a set of keys, unlocking doors to science, history, memory, imagination and spirit.” Her work explores the thresholds between nature and culture, which she sees as ultimately inseparable.

Shona’s work is held in significant collections including Macquarie Bank, Artbank, Shepparton Art Museum, Stanthorpe Regional Gallery, Macquarie University Art Gallery and Manly Art Gallery & Museum. She has undertaken residencies in Bhutan, Spain and the United States, and was awarded the Noosa Regional Gallery Travelling Scholarship. She has twice received the People’s Choice Award in the Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize and has been a finalist in major awards including the Blake Art Prize and the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize.

In March, Shona travelled with PLC Sydney’s Year 11 Visual Arts students to Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon on the Shoalhaven River for a three-day art camp, where students worked en plein air in the Australian landscape. In Term 2, she joins the students again in The Croydon Art Studios as Artist-in-Residence.

Riversdale Dreaming, an exhibition showcasing works created by Shona and the Year 11 Visual Arts cohort, will be on display from 28 May to 22 June, 8.30 am – 4.00 pm weekdays. A celebration event will be held 17 June from 6.00 pm.

Shona Wilson is represented by Arthouse Gallery, Sydney.