Jillian Nalty
Artist's Statement
My sculptures draw on textures and forms found in flesh, skin, scales and feathers. I am interested in how form alone can trigger a visceral reaction before it can be clearly identified.
Working across beeswax, polished aluminium, upholstery and synthetic nails, I create objects that suggest living bodies without depicting them directly. Co-produced through the labour of honey bees, “Colony” evokes both a living organism and an alien presence, while other works recall udders, scales, feathers and protective skins. These forms feel recognisable yet resist clear identification, occupying an uncertain territory between organism, object and body.
Biography
Jillian Nalty (b. 1981) is an emerging artist living and working on Gadigal land (Eora/Sydney). Her practice is drawn to the strange and uncanny, often beginning with observed forms and textures that carry a visceral, sensual allure. She is interested in material ambiguity: how wax can appear wet, or marble can suggest softness. Her work seeks to create forms that are visually arresting, oscillating between the beautiful and the grotesque.
She graduated from the National Art School in 2025. Her work has been exhibited in Australia and the United States, with recent exhibitions including Doll Factory at Schmick Contemporary (2026) and the National Art School Graduation Show (2025). She was a finalist in the Gosford Art Prize (2022) and Sculpture at Sawmillers (2022), and has exhibited internationally at Leimin Space, Nous Tous, Dab Art, and Gallery 66NY.
