Rosie O’Brien is an emerging artist working on paper, digital animation and textiles. She draws inspiration from the rich colour and form found in botany, approaching the work with a delicate intimacy. The vibrant use of pattern and placement of soft vessel-like flowers demonstrates her sensitive and observant style. In her soft sculpture work the fabric piles up to form peaks of carefully chosen colours, and in works on paper the composition is sparse, the soft palette reminiscent of spring.

O’Brien (b 1974) has worked in the Arts Project Australia studio since 2015 and has exhibited in several group exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne, including ‘and on the eyes, black sleep of night’, Seventh Gallery; and ‘The Pursuit of Colour’ and ‘Home & the fabric of the familiar’, Arts Project Australia, Melbourne.

Rosie is the 2025 Arts Project Australia Artist in Residence. In an ongoing partnership with Arts Project Australia (APA) the ATW will offer a residency place to an APA artist in 2024. This is an important professional development opportunity for the APA artists to create work in an inspiring studio environment and forge new connections in the Melbourne contemporary art community.