Jo Darvall
Image: Christophe Canato
“I used my practice as a printmaker and painter to create new works that engaged in a type of conversation. Discoveries I noticed in my prints were incorporated into my paintings… It was a fascinating conversation, and I am still working out what it all means. I want to give space for the viewers to make their own interpretations too.”
Jo Darvall is an artist whose work is influenced by sensory experiences and her long-standing connection to the natural world. During her thirty-year career spanning three continents, she has developed a distinctive visual language exploring the interplay between memory, place and the Australian landscape. Originally from Naarm (Melbourne), Darvall now lives and works in Western Australia, where her regular walks through forests and along the coast inform her intuitive, layered compositions.
Based in her studio in Walyalup (Fremantle) and as co-founder of the Swan River Print Studio at Goolugatup Heathcote, Darvall draws inspiration from the subtle patterns, sounds and changing light found in nature. “Darvall’s paintings capture the essence of West Australian forests, evoking the spirit of the landscape,” writes Dr Kevin Robinson. Her recent works reflect her ongoing engagement with the environment, blending figuration and abstraction to capture atmosphere and place.
Darvall’s work has been exhibited in twenty solo exhibitions and over fifty group exhibitions across Australia, China, London, Fiji and Singapore. In 2023, she won the Collie Art Prize, Australia’s richest regional art award. In 2024, she completed residencies at Edith Cowan University and the Western Australian Parliament, where her four-metre diptych was acquired for the state collection. Alongside her studio practice, Darvall continues to contribute to arts education and community initiatives, currently lecturing at Curtin University, while maintaining a strong commitment to arts-led cultural exchange.
Works by the artist
