ARTIST SPOTLIGHT : LYDIA BALBAL: ARTWORKS FROM THE BUNGALOW

There is an unmistakable vitality to Lydia Balbal's paintings. Working from memories of her Mangala Country in the Great Sandy Desert, she transforms stories of jila (living water), family and movement across the landscape into luminous fields of colour that seem to shimmer with life. Her masterful use of colour and brushstroke creates an almost translucent effect across the canvas, each layer of paint dissolving into one another to evoke the shifting light, water and atmosphere of Country. Lydia’s painting carries an extraordinary sense of energy and generosity, inviting viewers into her remembered landscape and story.

Her remarkable visual language continues to earn widespread acclaim. Following her 2024 win in the General Painting Award at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards for Keeping up with the Balbals, Lydia Balbal has recently been selected as a finalist in, one of Australia's leading acquisitive painting prizes, the prestigious 2026 Gold Award at Rockhampton Museum of Art. Lydia’s work in the award can be viewed at the Museum from July 4 – September 6. These milestones reflect Lydia's place as a leading voice in contemporary Australian art, whose work seamlessly bridges cultural storytelling with a contemporary painterly sensibility.

Short St Gallery invites you to view a selection of Lydia's artwork below. A price list is available via enquiries@shortstgallery.com.