Michelle Connolly — A Blessing and a Curse

EXHIBITION HOURS
12–6PM TH–SA, 12–4PM SU

OPENING DRINKS
5–8PM THURSDAY 5 MAR

This exhibition celebrates 18 years of my studio art practice which recognises the life of an artist – a blessing and a curse!

I work on multiple artworks in my studio and have recently moved to a larger studio space at Square One Studios in Alexandria to accommodate the many artworks I have created over the years and to have the space to work on larger works. Whilst moving studios I selected a variety of new and older works for this exhibition which have a common theme of characters at play in my mind which have not been exhibited before now. Salvaged materials are often used to create my artwork, breathing new life into discarded objects. All works harness the spirit of improvisation and play with a mix of comedy and joy to entertain the viewer.

‘Brothers’ (Back View) – $650

‘Brothers’ (Front View) – $650

‘Looking Out of the Window’ – $2100

‘Circus Girl’ – $450

‘Vera’ – $350

‘Bozo’ – $350

‘Just Friends’ – $690 (375 each)

‘Bob’ – $350

‘Hermes’ – $750

‘Boss’ – $350

‘Pedro’ – $395

‘The Universe Explained’ (Collaboration with Jerry Liew) – $450

‘May Lane Memories’ – $3500

‘Once Upon A Time’ – $695

‘Thorton’s Memory’ – $5500

‘Michel’ – $250

‘Man with Pipe’ – $250

‘Arthur’ – $350

‘Mr Sid’ – $350

‘Accordion Busker’ – $395

‘Edith Walking the Dog’ – $450

‘Shadow Dancing’ (Collaboration with Jerry Liew) – $450

‘Florence’ – $650

‘Raw Vision’ – $1500

‘Medium Raku Vase’ (Collaboration with Carol Hudson) – $295

‘Bruce’ – $350

‘Claude’ – $395

‘Herb’ – $950

‘Bobby’ – $395

‘Clown Boy in Blue’ – $425

‘Clown Boys’ (Back View) – $650

‘Clown Boys’ (Front View) – $650

‘Small Raku Vase’ (collaboration with Carol Hudson) – $260

‘Large Porcelain Pot’ (Collaboration with Carol Hudson) – $460

‘Large Raku Vase’ (Collaboration with Carol Hudson) – $460

‘Felix’ – $250

‘Genevieve’ – $550

‘Jacqueline’ – $350 ($550 framed)

‘Esmerelda’ – $350 ($550 framed)

‘Harriet’ — $350 / $500 framed

‘Ingrid’ – $350 ($550 framed)

‘Shirley’ – $350 ($550 framed)

‘Deidre’ – $350 ($550 framed)

‘Ruth – $350 ($550 framed)

‘Puppet God’ – $450

‘It’s Raining Men’ Collaboration with Jerry Liew – $450

‘Something to Cheer About’ (Collaboration with Jerry Liew) – $450

‘Conversation with a Rising Star’ — $450 (Collaboration with Jerry Liew)

‘Perfect Day’ – $350

‘Humphrey’ – $350

‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ – $1400

‘Richard’ – $250

‘Sharman’ – $650

‘Sid’

‘Rendezvous’ – $250

‘Archie’ – $250

‘Robin’ – $250

‘Freddy’ – $250

‘Fred’ – $450

‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’ – $1100

ABOUT MICHELLE CONNOLLY

Michelle is a mixed media painter and sculptor.

Growing up in the UK, art has been a consistent and persistent practice in her life. Her practice fledged while living in North Carolina, USA where she immersed herself in visionary folk art, primitive and outsider art and set up her first studio in 2007. Improvisation, play and the harnessing her own unique authentic raw energy are critical elements of Michelle’s open and organic approach to making. Her work explores the person, the self and her own identity.

In her studio Michelle develops multiple works simultaneously in a prolific and generous manner that creates order from chaos through intuitive experimentation. Michelle’s assembled sculptural works inspired by Paul Klee’s puppets are often held together with wire that at once binds together and creates their visceral tenderness and vulnerability which is also evident in her two-dimensional works where spontaneous authentic mark making creates characters of human and animal fragility.

Michelle has been a finalist in the Paddington Art Prize (2023), Gosford Art Prize (2024), National Emerging Art Prize (2024) and the Wollongong Art Prize (2025).