7 young Australian artists you can afford to invest in

The Affordable Art Fair Australia director reveals her 'artists to watch' hit list.

The Affordable Art Fair Australia director reveals her 'artists to watch' hit list.

The art market can feel like an intimidating space to enter. Artworks can be pricey; gallery openings tend to be full of impossibly cool people who speak fluent art and if you can buy, knowing what to buy requires a level of confidence most first-time collectors don’t possess. But you shouldn’t be deterred, because there are people and organisations that are passionate about making the market more accessible. 

One of these organisations is the Affordable Art Fair. 

For the first time this weekend, the art fair known for connecting emerging and established artists with new and experienced buyers will set up shop in Sydney, at the Royal Randwick Racecourse. At the fair, artists from 35 local and international galleries will show their works, with all pieces priced between $100 and $10,000. Unlike how it is in many commercial galleries, which require you to formally ask about the prices of works (awkward!), the cost of every piece is on display at the Affordable Art Fair, so you can figure out what’s within your budget.

To make budgeting even easier, the fair has also partnered with Art Money, which is a bit like Afterpay for art. 

Ahead of its opening in Sydney, we spoke to the director of Affordable Art Fair Australia Stephanie Kelly Gordine. She’s spent two years working on the line-up of exhibiting artists, so naturally, Kelly Gordine has her finger on the pulse when it comes to Australian artists to watch. Thinking of heading along this weekend? Here, the director shares her pick of seven exciting young artists to look out for, and maybe even purchase from. 

Cat Yenn

“Curious about the subtle interactions people have with the world around them, Sydney-based artist Cat Yenn‘s hand-painted artworks are a graphic and abstract representation of the less tangible things in life,” says Kelly Gordine. “Her art explores ideas of connection by giving flat shapes depth, static elements movement and elastic ideas precision.” 

We’re enamoured by the sense of movement and flow her works capture. Whether curvy or rigid, the way Yenn’s figures guide our eyes across her canvases is, in want of a more intellectual phrase, chef’s kiss. 

Daniel Bodey

“Daniel Bodey‘s intimate paintings capture everyday transient moments, blurring the perception between subject and environment through textured and highly structured brushwork… he layers wet over dried paint,” Kelly Gordine explains. 

The painter, who graduated from Sydney’s National Art School in 2020, takes familiar imagery of mundane and often working-class scenes—tradies wearing high-vis on site, an elderly man sunning himself on the beach—and turns it into abstract vignettes. Most all of the images Bodey paints from are taken on his phone. 

The year he graduated, Bodey was also awarded the Troy Quinliven Exhibition Award, cementing his posse in the proverbial pool room of bright young artists to watch. 

Maya Barnstone 

“A delightfully eclectic portrayal of celebration and community, Maya Barnstone draws inspiration from her upbringing in America, as well as her summers in Greece where as a child, she painted with her yiayia, Elli. Her paintings come from her imagination. Often, they explore the complexities and joy of social events and gatherings—which we appreciate more than ever now,” notes Kelly Gordine. 

If you like brilliant colours and the texture of visible brushstrokes, Barnstone’s charming paintings will fill a hole in your heart and a space on your wall. We’re particularly fond of her swimming pool scenes, which are like summer on a canvas. 

Giorgia McRae

Spanning sculpture, painting and drawing, Giorgia McRae’s practice is delightfully multidisciplinary. Kelly Gordine says: “She explores emotional prowess and the idea of mundanity through strong lines and blocks of saturated colour. With overt nods to the Cubist and Modernist movements, Giorgia’s use of motifs allows her work to travel seamlessly between painted canvas and sculpted steel.” 

Having already exhibited at prominent Sydney galleries like Paddington’s saint Cloche, there’s buzz around McRae’s work—and it’s only set to get louder.

Gabrielle Penfold 

She’s one of this list’s most established artists, so we recommend securing yourself a Gabrielle Penfold before her stocks rise even further—because they will. The artist’s oil paintings of beach scenes have the ability to make Sydneysiders hopelessly patriotic, while her still life work—which often depicts table settings dotted with delicacies like prawns, sardines, figs and teeny cups of espresso—is equally stunning. So is her personal style—it’s why Penfold is frequently collaborating with local fashion and jewellery brands like Sir the Label and Lucy Folk. 

“Gabrielle paints a familiar everyday narrative with a slice of a dream-like haze—this is her signature style,” observes Kelly Gordine. “She delights in the simplicity of everyday objects, and she’s not to be missed at the Affordable Art Fair.” 

Celina Klohk

The Affordable Art Fair Sydney will be Klohk’s first as an exhibiting artist—she also graduated from RMIT in 2020—which is exciting for her and us (in 30 years, you’ll be able to flex and say, ‘I bought a Klohk at her first ever fair’). 

“Her works are inspired by everyday life and the unique nature of modern day anxieties, especially in connection with the digital realm,” says Kelly Gordine. Her subject matter is unmistakably current—women gazing at themselves in mirrors, or tapping away on laptop keys—and her ability to move between mediums, from digital animation to ink and collage, is beyond impressive. See for yourself this weekend. 

Rebecca Trajkovski

“Rebecca Trajkovski is a self-taught artist who wears many hats: she’s a lawyer, an artist, a wife and a mother, which fuels a body of work that encompasses a variety of styles, motifs, and mediums,” says the director. “Her pieces are heavily influenced by her lived experiences and personality; some are confined by sharp lines and intricate details that require a lot of discipline to execute, something that reflects her dedicated work ethic. Whilst other pieces are created spontaneously, without inhibitions. Rebecca’s works are subject to a continuous evolution, as she enjoys finding new modes of expression.” 

Take a look at the intricacy and scope of her work and allow the fact she’s self-taught to sink in. Certainly, Trajkovski is one to watch—if you’re not already watching. 

The Affordable Art Fair runs from June 2 - 5, inside the Winx Stand at Royal Randwick Racecourse. affordableartfair.com