Untamed is a small collection that continues an exploration of the hidden world of flowers, seeds, and quiet creatures that weave through the growth. Each painting celebrates the mysterious dance of pollination, seed dispersal, and unseen connections, revealing the delicate forces that shape the natural world. Zooming in on pollinating insects, seed-spreading snakes, native flora, and exotic endangered plants, Untamed is about new life, and is born from an overwhelming sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world.

About the artist:

“Living in the verdant Top End and armed with the belief that all living things are connected by the habitats we share, my work aims to capture this precious wildness, documenting its wealth of colour, shape, spirit, and mood. It pays homage to the fertile environments that are under constant threat. My aesthetics are tethered to locations which are deeply and intimately familiar but are filtered thru humankind’s inherent sense of being ‘other’, separate from the natural world. While most organisms coexist in harmony, living a life framed by sky and earth, humans struggle to acknowledge we are a part of this fully interconnected ecosystem. The intricately cut edges of my work cast shadows, offering a portal into the landscape, to focus on a disappearing ecology we might choose to protect instead of destroying.”

Sonia Martignon completed a Bachelor of Fine Art, Charles Darwin University (1992). Completing further studies in architecture and education she is also a qualified teacher. Beginning a fulltime arts practice in 2019, Sonia has participated in multiple curated group shows across Australia. She was selected to exhibit in EXPLORATION 20, showcasing ten emerging Australian artists at Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne (2020). Sonia’s solo exhibitions include HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne (2018); A FRAGILE EXISTENCE, Salon Project Space Gallery, Darwin (2019); UNTITLED, The Other Art Fair, Sydney (2019). Her work has been selected as a finalist and exhibited in several national art prizes including the Korea-Australian Art Foundation Art Prize, Sydney (2018, 2021), Lethbridge Landscape Prize, Brisbane (2021), 20000 Small-Scale Art Awards, Brisbane (2021), she was awarded the WINNER of the Korea-Australian Art Foundation Art Prize, Sydney (2022), and is a finalist in the Kennedy Prize (2023).. Sonia completed a residency at Tactile Arts Studios in 2022, and in 2023 she will be having her inaugural solo exhibition at Weswal Gallery, Tamworth.