Edan Azzopardi

Edan Azzopardi

Explore the artistic aviary of Edan Azzopardi, a Melbourne-based painter whose lifelong love of native birds has led to an ongoing ornithological survey celebrating their colourful character.

A contemporary take on the scientific illustrations of pioneering zoologists John and Elizabeth Gould, Azzopardi pairs clean lines and minimal design with a reduced palette of block colours, producing playful portraits that boldly distinguishes each bird in the artist’s signature graphic style.  

“I love putting colours together that traditionally wouldn’t work. It is nature that inspires me, seeing the vibrant colours of Australian birds contrasted against the muted tones of the Australian landscape.”

Primarily working with acrylic on beautifully textured fabriano paper, Azzopardi is dedicated to contributing towards a sustainable future for Australian birdlife. He is currently represented by Brunswick Street Gallery.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHAT A DAY MAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU AS AN ARTIST. WHERE ARE YOU BASED AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU DO IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE?

I’m very fortunate to live opposite park and bushland along the Merri creek. For inspiration I can simply open my window or go down to the creek to hear and see birds, frogs and even turtles. It’s quite amazing actually. Not a lot of people living in Melbourne can say that they are regularly woken up by the Kookaburras in the morning, it’s a beautiful little spot.


HOW DID YOU START YOUR CREATIVE PRACTICE?

Growing up in a big art collecting family I was always encouraged to explore my creative side. As a teenager, having my work on display at the National Gallery of Victoria as part of Top Arts was an incredible experience. From here I never stopped making, even when I was working full-time. Art has always been a way of grounding myself as well as spending time outdoors. Now feels like the right time to share my love of nature and art. The aim of my current collection of bird paintings is to build awareness and put the spotlight on some of the more vulnerable Australian bird species.


TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHERE YOU CREATE AND SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT THINGS THAT SUPPORT AND INSPIRE YOUR PRACTICE?

My creative workspace is a desk in the corner of the room. It’s far from perfect, but its window overlooks the park and floods the room with natural light. I’m constantly changing the plants and objects around in the space. This keeps it fresh and brings me new inspiration.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT YOU EXPLORE IN YOUR WORK AND THE MEDIUMS THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO WORK WITH?

Each individual painting focuses on a single Australian native bird. Before painting I’ll sit and research about the bird’s behaviour and the environment it lives in. I use blocks of solid colour to form the bird, being careful to use the correct colours of the bird as they appear in nature. The background is always empty as I want the bird to be the main focus. I find through playful placement and artistic exaggeration I can get the birds to fill the entire page comfortably. It’s not until the bird paintings are grouped together that the array of colours really start to be the main focus. I love the way that colours that should not work together in a single artwork look amazing when you put all the bird paintings together. I guess this is what happens in nature.


IN AN INCREASINGLY DIGITIZED WORLD, HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE?

I’m not very good at selling myself or using technology. I focus more on sharing a few facts about the birds and the environment. Education and awareness are what I’d rather sell, and let the art work speak for itself.


LET US KNOW ABOUT ANY CURRENT/FUTURE PROJECTS – HAVE YOU GOT ANYTHING PLANNED IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

I’m currently working on a new collection of bird paintings for a solo exhibition planned for later this year. I’m also in conversation with a printmaker about creating some large hand printed screen-prints. Watch this space.

Edan Azzopardi likes – no, loves – birds. In February 2022 Edan playfully presented a collection of Australia’s most iconic as well as lesser known native bird species within his debut solo exhibition. With an endless source of natural inspiration, he combines graphic design and bold colour with anatomical accuracy. He masterfully re-interprets the avian world around us into a wonderfully naive and colourful exhibition.

VIEW PAST EXHIBITION

VIEW PAST EXHIBITION