Show Notes
Gary Deirmendjian is a Sydney-based contemporary artist whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses sculpture, installation, photography, video, and site-specific intervention. Working predominantly in public and shared spaces, he is recognised for creating thought-provoking works that challenge audiences through scale, immersion, and unexpected encounters. His projects often explore the social, political, and environmental conditions that shape everyday life, encouraging viewers to re-examine familiar surroundings with fresh eyes.
Deirmendjian has exhibited extensively throughout Australia and internationally, receiving numerous commissions for public artworks, temporary installations, and moving-image projects. Career highlights include presence (2017), a major moving-image commission for Sydney's Wynyard Station, and pulse (2020), commissioned for Federation Square in Melbourne. He was awarded the British School at Rome Residency in 2017 and is the author of the monograph A Prevailing Sense of Disquiet as well as Common Ground, a collection of observations and images drawn from his long-running social media art practice. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the National Art School, where he has taught since 2012.
This week on Art Wank, we sit down with acclaimed Sydney artist Gary Deirmendjian, whose expansive practice spans sculpture, installation, photography, video, and public intervention. Known for transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary encounters, Gary has built a career around paying close attention to the world around him and inviting others to do the same. His projects challenge audiences to slow down, look again, and find meaning in the overlooked details of everyday life.
In this episode, Gary discusses his relationship with the urban environment, sharing how the streets, public spaces, and chance observations that make up daily life continue to inspire his work. We explore the idea of curiosity as an artistic tool and the ways in which public art can interrupt routine experiences, creating moments of reflection, wonder, humour, and sometimes discomfort.
Throughout the discussion, Gary reflects on the importance of observation, experimentation, and remaining responsive to the complexities of contemporary life. Thoughtful, insightful, and deeply engaged with the world around him, he offers a compelling perspective on what it means to be an artist working within public space today.
Gary is now represented by LNL Gallery in Sydney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Art Wank
This week Gary talks to acclaimed Australian artist Tomislav Nikolic for a fascinating conversation about colour, perception, identity and the transformative power of art. Known for his luminous abstract paintings, Tomislav shares the stories behind his practice, the influence of his Croatian heritage, and how he creates works that invite viewers into a deeply sensory experience.
In this episode, we sit down with Loribelle Spirovski, one of Australia's most distinctive contemporary painters. Born in Manila and raised between cultures, Spirovski's work explores identity, migration, memory and the psychological complexities of human experience through a powerful blend of portraiture, surrealism and abstraction.
Juno Gemes is a Hungarian-born Australian photographer, publisher, and social justice activist. Her photographs are held in major Australian collections, including the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia. Her work has played a significant role in documenting First Nations cultural strength, political activism, and contemporary Australian history.
Paul Connor is an Australian painter whose practice centres on landscape, observation and environmental engagement. Originally trained in architecture, he later completed a Master of Fine Art at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, graduating with first-class honours. Connor has exhibited for more than three decades and is represented in collections throughout Australia and internationally. Known for his expressive interpretations of place, he continues to build upon the rich tradition of Australian landscape painting while addressing contemporary concerns about the environment and cultural connection to country.
Kirtika Kain is an Australian artist of Dalit heritage whose work explores identity, culture, migration, memory and belonging. Through her art and conversations, she brings personal and collective stories into the spotlight, creating space for voices and experiences that are often overlooked.