Art
No Order Magazine talks with the artist.
My name is Odessa, my art practice is making colourful abstract oil paintings and clay sculptures. It’s very expressive with lots of mark making and gestures. It’s also very process driven, so I do lots of layers and I am trying to find some sort of surprise resolution for myself.
How did your career begin?
When I was about nine my mum could see I loved making and asked if I wanted to have art classes. There I learnt how to paint animals, landscapes, and portraits. After high school I turned 18 and moved interstate to study at RMIT where I grew an appreciation for abstract painting and I’ve been intrigued by it still 6 years after graduating. I now rent a studio above a Chinese restaurant with my mate Amanda Bennetts and am working pretty much full time on my art practice.
What does art mean to you? Is it personal?
Art is a physical embodied process to me. It involves walking around, climbing a ladder, crouching down to mix paint and moving between canvas, it’s completely engaging. It’s where I can be present and solve problems. I really enjoy the materiality of it. In relation to my mental and physical health, making artwork has been really healing for me, a personal space where I can make mistakes and have the freedom to do whatever I want. It’s a space where you have to be very brave and know when to be bold and attack the canvas or subtle and delicate.
Image courtesy of the artist.
What advice do you have for emerging artists?
Just put yourself out there in all your quirkiness, make mistakes, and find some mentors to help you. You definitely need a whole community around you. I find at the moment scrolling instagram it’s very easy to be influenced by other people’s work and that’s okay but I think it’s important to make sure you’re being authentic in what you make and that it’s a true representation of your essence in a way.
Read the full interview in Issue 04
Published: 18th July 2025