Sydney
Art Guide

Below you will also find a selection of other contemporary galleries in the city, as recommended by Ocula.

Whether you love established contemporary Australian artists like Karla Dickens, Tony Albert, or Simryn Gill, or work by up-and-coming emerging artists, Ocula's Sydney Art Guide will steer you in the right direction for exploring the best art galleries in the New South Wales capital.

Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Soudan Lane, Paddington, has a long history of supporting contemporary art. The gallery has fostered some of the most important Australian contemporary artists, including Tracey Moffatt, David Noonan, Fiona Hall, Patricia Piccinini, Dale Frank, and Bill Henson. Artists represented by Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery have been selected for significant international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale.

Since 2006, Gallery 9 has presented a dynamic programme of exhibitions and represents artists from Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. It is committed to nurturing the practices of its artists long-term, encouraging experimentation and artistic development. Artists represented by Gallery 9 include painters Grace Wright, Ed Bats, and Louise Tuckwell.

Originally established in Singapore in 2010, Yavuz Gallery opened its second gallery in Sydney in 2019. The art gallery's programme is dedicated to the promotion of intercultural dialogue through contemporary art, presenting a diverse group of established and emerging artists from around the globe through its exhibitions and international art fair participation. Artists represented by Yavuz Gallery include prominent Southeast Asian artists such as Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan, Pinaree Sanpitak, and Alvin Ong, as well as Antipodean artists including Abdul Abdullah and André Hemer.

In 1991, Martin Browne—former Head of the Australian Art Department at Sotheby's Australia—opened his eponymous Sydney gallery. Martin Browne Contemporary is dedicated to showing the finest in Australian and international modern and contemporary works of art. From its two light-filled spaces in Paddington, the gallery shows its programme in the heart of the Paddington Arts Precinct, Sydney's premier arts locale.

A thriving destination for contemporary art, culture, tourism, festivals, and food, Sydney promises its visitors a well-rounded arts experience. From the architecturally designed Sydney Modern Project at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, to the waterfront contemporary art destination, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, art enthusiasts can expect to see world-class exhibitions in the city.

Set by The Domain along Art Gallery Road is the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) and its recent expansion, the Sydney Modern Project, offering a world-class stage for contemporary and modern art across two mammoth spaces.

Overlooking Sydney Harbour at Tallawoladah is the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA Sydney), Australia's dedicated public contemporary art museum set in a multi-storey art deco building.

Sydney is also home to a breadth of mid-scale institutions that support emerging artists through exhibitions and opportunities. These include non-profits Artspace Sydney and Firstdraft, both in Woolloomooloo, and Cement Fondu in Paddington. Also in Paddington is UNSW Galleries, the University of New South Wales' dedicated gallery opened in 2013.

4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is an independent not-for-profit located in Haymarket which has championed contemporary Asian-Australian art practices since 1996.

In Chippendale is White Rabbit Gallery, established in 2009 to showcase contemporary Chinese art.

Other highlights include Carriageworks, Australia's largest arts and culture centre located in the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops in Redfern; Campbelltown Arts Centre, a multidisciplinary contemporary arts centre situated on the edge of southwest Sydney; and the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo.

Since it was launched in 2010, Ocula Magazine has interviewed some of Australia's most significant artists, including Dean Cross, Lindy Lee, Angela Tiatia, Richard Bell, and Karla Dickens. It has also covered significant Sydney exhibitions, including shows by Simryn Gill and Tony Albert, and the Biennale of Sydney.

Led by Ocula founder Simon Fisher, Ocula Advisory assists new and established collectors in building and managing their collections.

Through 40+ years of combined experience and extensive relationships with galleries, auction houses, art dealers, and collectors, the Ocula Advisory team has exceptional knowledge about and access to a broad spectrum of modern and contemporary artworks.

Follow the Advisory team for their Picks on must-see art shows in Sydney, exceptional artworks in the city, and artists to follow as well as art market news.

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Sydney has propelled the careers of Australian and international artists, with its renowned galleries and museums providing a global stage for seminal exhibitions. Australian artists who have recently held major solo exhibitions in the city include Brett Whiteley, Daniel Boyd, Noŋgirrŋa Marawili, and Emily Floyd.

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