Toni Vallance grew up on a large farming station in the lower North Island of New Zealand. Encouraged to follow a traditional intellectual path, she gained degrees in Business and Health Science, and worked in advertising, design and health as a young adult. It wasn’t until 2017 after completing a drawing course that she returned to the artistic calling she had experienced as a child. Today, she is a practising abstract artist and is completing a Bachelor of Fine Art in painting. She lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.
How did you get into art?
My journey to creative expression has not been a straightforward one, despite being creative as a child. I remember having very strong visual ideas of things to make and being completely absorbed in making them – sewing garments, making paintings with various materials, hand-making paper to make journals – but that was overtaken by academic pursuits as I got older. With degrees in both Business and Health Science, I have worked professionally in advertising and design, and as a naturopath, before following a long-held, intuitive calling to return to making art. In 2017 I completed a drawing course, and lived and worked in New York, which ultimately inspired my art practice. I have since created and sold paintings in New York, London, New Zealand and Australia. After being recognised in Australia’s National Emerging Art Prize in 2023, I was offered a solo exhibition with a prominent gallery just north of Sydney, Australia earlier this year. Right off the back of that, my second solo exhibition opens in Melbourne, Australia in July. I am also currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Art (painting) at RMIT University in Melbourne.
How would you describe your style? What makes your work special?
My work presents a vibrant interplay between colour, texture and dimension through layered mark-making. The relationships between colours fascinates me and I will often place complementary colours together or one on top of another, creating energy and intrigue. I also use oil pigment sticks over the top of acrylic and pencil drawings to create texture and dimension.
“[Toni’s] deceptively simple, exquisitely constructed compositions bring a jolt of ebullience, vitality and fashionable panache to their surroundings, delighting the eye by darting between boldly expressive and more muted painterly rhythms.” – Michael Reid Northern Beaches Gallery.
How do you go about developing your work?
Inspired by things that move me, I take visual references from nature, design and architecture, and create quick drawings using colour pencil. These will progress into small studies starting with drawing, then acrylic paint and oil pigment sticks. Studies are then translated to canvas or board, and it’s here that the paintings take on a life of their own. They may change significantly from the studies as things are scaled – colours will change, additional marks and layers of colour will appear, and oil paint and brush work may also feature. Throughout the process I’m allowing the painting to lead me to a composition that feels complete.
Who or what influences you?
I have always been surrounded by designers and makers – my mother is very clever with gardens and flowers, as is one of my aunts. Another aunt is a jewellery designer. One uncle is an architect, another a furniture designer turned wood turner; as was my grandfather. Outside of my family, I have surrounded myself with musicians, fashion designers and creative people from all different areas. All of these people have had a profound impact on me and helped me find my creative voice in one way or another. In terms of painting, I am constantly looking at other artists’ work – there are too many favourites to list but at the top are Joan Mitchell, Cy Twombly, Martha Jungwirth, and Howard Hodgkin.
Make us curious. What are you planning to do next?
This year has already surpassed my wildest dreams with two solo exhibitions. But I’m always up for more so watch this space. I also have a degree to complete!
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