Samantha Dennison
Image: Serena Kirby
“Bringing home flowers and objects for arranging is one of my favourite parts of the painting process. … The compositions of my paintings continue to reflect my search for space and stillness.”
Samantha Dennison is a highly regarded contemporary realist painter and ceramicist based in Albany/Kinjarling on the south coast of Western Australia. Originally from Perth, she studied Art Education at Edith Cowan University and taught high‑school art for over a decade before relocating in 2012 with her family to Albany. Since then, she has focused primarily on still life painting, sourcing objects—flowers, ceramics, found items—from her local community and garden to explore themes of space, memory, and belonging. Her practice is deeply informed by her roles as artist, potter, parent, and regional resident, making everyday objects potent containers of narrative and identity.
Dennison’s paintings are characterized by luminous, layered oil glazes and meticulous compositions that emphasize the interplay between object and surrounding negative space. She begins each work with a warm burnt sienna underpainting, overlaid by thin translucent layers that allow light to glow through surface details—often extending beyond the canvas edges to hint at an expanded world just out‑of‑frame. Her muted earthy tones are occasionally punctuated by local native blooms and handmade vessels—some created by Dennison herself—reflecting her ongoing engagement with ceramics and the landscape. Winner of the 2023 City of Albany Acquisitive Award, and a finalist in prize competitions including the Mandorla and Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize, her work is held in major public collections such as the Royal Perth Hospital and in private collections nationally and overseas.
