Talking With Painters

Many Australians may have seen Kim Leutwyler’s work without ever having set foot in a gallery. In 2019 her impressive Archibald painting of television presenter Faustina Agolley was splashed across Sydney to promote the prize. The striking image was on a huge banner above the entrance of the gallery, on bus shelters around the city, in newspapers and even on the front cover of a magazine. Kim is no stranger to the Archibald Prize - she’s been shortlisted in five out of the last seven years. And her sitters all have one thing in common; they are people she admires and who are making a mark in the queer community. Using bold colour in a distinctive style, Kim involves her sitters in the process, depicting them with an exciting combination of realism and abstraction. Always innovating and moving forward, she is constantly pushing towards pure abstraction, exploring and experimenting along the way. Kim has a fabulously positive outlook and is a regular finalist in many major Australian art prizes an