N.G. Malla is an urban landscape painter who captures Sydney houses and streetscapes in her signature style. I first met Nicole at a group show at Balmain Watch House where her works were hung alongside those of Jane Sankey and Fangmin Wu. This show, 'Scene' in the neighbourhood, included an idyllic sort of afternoon: warm sunlight, live singer, wines, a 'meet the artists' experience and paintings by all three artists that each had with a sense of place, peace and contentment. So, my first impression of Nicole was her generously offering to refill my wine.
I've since seen Nicole around the Sydney art scene - attending a Wet Paint Collective group show that included my work last winter, and, most recently, at the opening of Space Invaders by Megan Hales at Michael Reid Chippendale. As part of the Michael Reid Northern Beaches Summer Salon, she was quoted as saying, "Living in Bulanaming country (Marrickville) in Sydney’s inner west, I am fascinated by the ordinary beauty of our urban and suburban landscapes." I love that for her - while many are enchanted by Sydney's famous beauty spots, Bondi and all the picture postcard places - it takes a special eye to find the loveliness of an ordinary suburban street,
N.G. Malla at Michael Reid Northern Beaches. Photo: supplied
N.G. Malla is the 20th in my series of creatives to take five questions.
When my creative process is stuck, I reach for... my running shoes. My inspiration is on the street.
The weirdest thing about being a creative human is... being called weird; thankfully adults are more polite but growing up I was always trying unsuccessfully to be less ‘weird’.
The most unusual object in my house is... my old surfboard, which was hand painted in the '80s with feminist slogans. Probably the wrong choice for a teenage surfer aiming to fly under the radar.
I celebrate my achievements by... (I like the assumptions in this question!) But I’ll celebrate anything with something fizzy and someone special.
Something in the world that already exists that I wish I had created is... masking tape - from childproofing a room to fixing paper to a board, what can’t it do?
Find out more about N.G. Malla at her website ngmalla | urban landscapes. Her paintings are available through Michael Reid Northern Beaches.