Adelaide, South Australia
“Beauty is not superficial — it is felt, lived, and remembered.”
Prize Finalist
Prize Winning
Artworks: 3
Julia Chuquis is an Australian contemporary artist whose abstract expressionist paintings are grounded in freedom, presence, and a quiet reverence for the natural world. Her work unites emotional depth with refined visual restraint, creating paintings intended not only to be viewed, but to be lived with.
At the core of Chuquis’ practice is the belief that beauty is not superficial — it is felt, lived, and remembered. She approaches painting as an invitation rather than an explanation, shaping atmospheres that encourage connection, gratitude, and a sense of inner spaciousness. Rather than depicting landscape, her work evokes how it feels to be within it — open, grounded, and unbound.
Working intuitively with layered surfaces in acrylic and oil, Chuquis builds compositions through disciplined yet responsive gesture. Her palettes are drawn from the natural world, informed by subtle shifts in light, earth, and foliage, resulting in paintings that feel calm, balanced, and quietly expressive. Joy, optimism, and presence guide her process — not as overt themes, but as lived values embedded in the work.
Chuquis’ paintings are conceived as statement works that hold space rather than dominate it. They remain open to interpretation, allowing collectors to form a personal and evolving relationship with each piece over time. Her work offers sanctuary — a visual pause within contemporary life.
Her paintings have been exhibited in galleries across Australia and internationally and are held in private and corporate collections worldwide. She has received notable recognition, including Winner of Artio Art Gallery, New York (2025), and Finalist in the Bluethumb Art Prize (2023). Her work has also appeared in major media and popular culture, including features on The Block, Channel 7’s Dream Home, and the Hollywood feature film Ricky Stanicky.
Based in South Australia, Julia Chuquis continues to develop a cohesive body of work centred on freedom, presence, and the unseen — creating paintings that quietly transform how a space feels, and how we feel within it.
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