Yvonne Zago
“Every painting begins with a memory, a snippet of story. I weave figures and flora into layered worlds where the familiar meets the strange and the viewer finds their own narrative in between.”
— Yvonne Zago
Yvonne Zago is a painter whose work is rich in imagery and imagination. Her vibrant pieces draw heavily on Australian narratives, flora and fauna, and fantastical storylines. Based in Perth, she creates layered, dreamlike paintings featuring playful characters and lush, atmospheric settings. She continues to evolve her practice through an ongoing exploration of memory, empathy, and the delicate balance between reality and the imagined.
Zago’s work is deeply narrative and visually poetic. She combines pattern, figure and plant life to create immersive worlds that feel simultaneously strange and familiar. Drawing inspiration from fairy tales, personal memories, and the natural world, her paintings invite viewers to take their time, offering emotional connection and space for personal interpretation in each layered detail.
Image: Artist’s Instagram
About the Artist
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Born 1980 in Perth. Lives and works in Perth
Education
BA of Visual Arts (Honours) WA School of Contemporary Art, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University.
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Selected Solo Exhibitions
2020
Fever Dreams, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth, WA2017
Ornament, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth, WA2016
Drunken Daytime Ghosts, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth, WA2014
Say Less Please, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth, WA2012
I Hold a Wolf by the Ears, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth, WA2008
Handmade Daydreams, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth, WA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022
Perth College Art Exhibition, Perth, WA2021
Hundreds and Thousands, Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, WA2019
Friends and Family, Daine Singer Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
EMSLA Award, Coffs Harbour, NSW
Leonora Art Prize, Leonora, WA
The Land is Not Asleep, Margaret River Gallery, Margaret River, WA2018
50 x 50 Christmas Show, Perth, WA
Portia Geach Memorial Prize, Sydney, NSW
Paddington Landscape Prize, Sydney, NSW
National Works on Paper Prize, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, VIC
Albany Art Prize, Albany, WA
Landscapes of the Mind, Mundaring Arts Centre, Mundaring, WA2016
Loco Locals: Volume II, Outré Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
SCOOP Fundraiser Art Exhibition, Perth, WA2015
Mandjar Art Awards, Mandurah, WA2014
Kennedy Prize – Finalists, Adelaide, SA2013
Mater Dei College – 20th Anniversary Showcase Exhibition, Perth, WA
Salon des Refusés, Black Swan Portrait Prize, Perth, WA
Perth College Annual Art Show, Perth, WA2011
SAVE Foundation Art Exhibition, UWA University Club, Perth, WA2010
Femme Folk and Fable, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth, WA2009
Animal Art Awards, Perth, WA
Curvy 6 Exhibition, Sydney, NSW
Perth College Annual Art Show, Perth, WA2003
Honours Graduate Show, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA2002
Honours Mid-Year Show, spECtrUm Project Space, Perth, WA2001
B26 Third Year Graduate Show, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA1999
Awesome Children’s Festival Public Art Project, FREIGHT, Perth, WA
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Selected Awards
2019
Finalist, EMSLA – Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Wollongong, NSW
Winner, Open Painting Award, Leonora Art Prize, Leonora, WA2018
Finalist, Portia Geach Memorial Prize, Sydney, NSW
Semi-Finalist, Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Sydney, NSW
Finalist, Paddington Landscape Art Prize, Sydney, NSW
Finalist, National Works on Paper Prize, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, VIC
People’s Choice Award, Albany Art Prize, Albany, WA
Finalist, Albany Art Prize, Albany, WA2017
Finalist, Reserve Art Prize, Perth, WA2015
Finalist, Mandjar Art Awards, Mandurah, WA2013
Finalist, Kennedy Prize, Adelaide, SA
Semi-finalist, Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Sydney, NSW2010
Salon des Refusés, Black Swan Portrait Prize, Perth, WA2009
Winner, Animal Art Awards, Perth, WA
Finalist, Curvy 6 Exhibition, Sydney, NSW
Collections and Commissions
Perth College, Perth, WA
Mater Dei College, Perth, WA
Intercontinental Hotel Group, various locations
Shire of Mundaring, Mundaring, WA
Mandoon Estate, Caversham, WA
Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, WA
Various private collections
From an edition of 20 prints
72cm x 100cm