Lara Merrett

Lara Merrett’s second solo exhibition at Karen Woodbury Gallery will be made up of a suite of over ten canvases in varying proportions.

Lara’s amorphic and imaginative paintings convey a dynamic energy through their vibrancy. The work can be viewed as explorations into the abstract, but also the figurative at times. Seductive smooth surfaces and washes of colour dominate the sophisticated compositions. The viewer is presented with a multi-layered organic visual experience. Recently Merrett has employed discrete areas of pointillist detailing and metallic paints that add curiousity and depth to the paintings.

Lara Merrett studied painting at the Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain in 1993 and completed a Master of Arts (Painting) at the College of Fine Arts, University of NSW in 1997. Merrett’s work has been selected for various group exhibitions that include: Turbulent Terrain, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne (and touring) (2009/10); Newtown Diaries, Delmar Gallery, Sydney (2009); An Ever Expanding Universe, Perth Insitute of Contemporary Arts, Perth (2008); Décor, Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Melbourne (2008); ABN Amro Emerging Artist Award, Melbourne & Sydney; The Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, Artspace, Sydney (1999 & 2002) and New Acquisitions, Sir Herman Black Gallery, Sydney University, Sydney (2000).

Merrett was awarded the Pat Corrigan Artists Grant (2003); The NSW Artists Marketing Grant, National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) (2002); The Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Artists (2001). Collections in which her work is held include Artbank, University of New South Wales, Macquarie Bank, Sofitel Melbourne and Bundanon Estate.