André de Vanny

André de Vanny is a painter and multi-media artist based in Eora/Sydney. Drawing from the ethereal qualities of early Renaissance painting and expanding upon the rich visual language of contemporary abstraction, André’s work explores the delicate balance between the abject and the sublime. His practice is inherently physical, incorporating cycles of disintegration and repair which speak to the human experience of trauma and healing. Working outdoors in the natural elements his process-based practice encompasses scoring, staining and folding, stitching, sanding and stapling a range of materials from fine linens to heavy gauge canvas and reclaimed timbers. Prioritising spontaneity and chance over the predetermination of imagery and ideas, he seeks to discover new forms, organic shapes and original compositions that reveal themselves, as if by nature, free from the artist’s hand.

André’s painting practice is uniquely informed by cinematic and theatrical motifs. Drawing from the palettes of artists like Giotto di Bondone and Giorgio Morandi, he uses tone and colour to dramatic effect, creating sublime worlds of haunting beauty, which resonate with themes of love, loss and longing. Inspired by his work at the Sydney Children’s Hospital over the past decade, his process-based practice embodies the physical impacts of trauma and the power of art to heal, through time, care and aesthetic reflection.

André is a 2023 BFA Graduate of the National Art School. He was recently awarded the James Ballaam Elsley Memorial Prize for Excellence in Drawing by NAS and was chosen by the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art to show in Hatched National Graduate Exhibition in 2024. With over 20 years of professional experience as an internationally recognised performing artist.