Trisha Lambi’s stunning photorealism paintings have been exhibited widely in Australia and internationally.
Trisha Lambi is an award-winning figurative artist known for her bold and sensuous yet haunting nudes. Of her work, Lambi says, “Light and its effect on form is my inspiration, and whilst I don’t particularly aspire to convey a conscious emotion in my work, it seems to emerge of its own will.”
She has exhibited widely in Australia and internationally. Highlights of her career include her selection to represent Australia at the 2006 and 2007 Guangzhou Art Fair in China and her selection as a finalist in the 2012 Art Taipei International Competition. She was a Zone winner in the London Olympics 2012 Art Show and was selected as one of the Best Picks for Painting in the 2013 Dubai International Emerging Artist Award. Among her latest achievements were her selection to exhibit in Underbelly, a group show curated by Dab Art at H Gallery in Ventura California, her selection as a finalist in the 2017 Hornsby Art Prize, and her selection as a semi-finalist in the 2018 Artbox Project New York.
The Woman Behind Her Photorealism Paintings
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From banker to mother to artist
In early adulthood, Trisha was working for a bank and decided to pursue a degree in visual arts. “Unfortunately, I did not really enjoy the university experience,” she says, “and dropped out after only a few months. I still regret not giving myself a chance to settle in. Over the years I have learnt it takes me at least six months to settle into something new.”
She went back into the world of banking and finance. While she was successful, she still felt the pull of the art world. Over the years she continued drawing and painting haphazardly, doing a few lessons here and there, but never sticking to it.
It was not until my eldest child was born that I really threw myself into my art.
“It was not until my eldest child was born that I really threw myself into my art,” she says. “In my spare time, I would draw portraits of him and soon I began doing baby portraits professionally. I also found myself painting – mainly landscapes and still life. It was the advent of the internet which really boosted me along on my new career.” She built a website and it grew from there.
Trisha made a conscious decision to become a professional artist back in 2003. “Even though my income was modest, I registered as a business,” she says. “I felt it important not to regard myself as a hobbyist and so I took the plunge into the art world.”
Influences
“I owe a huge debt of gratitude to an Australian artist, the late Patricia Moran whose books and tutorials on oil painting totally changed my technique and mindset,” Trisha says. “She talked about painting tonally and after taking her tips on board, my work improved immeasurably.” Another book that had a huge influence on Trisha was The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, a self-help book designed to assist creative people gain the self-confidence required to navigate an artistic career.
Adding joy to her photorealism paintings – what Trisha is working on right now
“In 2019 I had reached a crossroad with my figurative painting, so I decided to take on an artist residency in France in the hope of finding fresh inspiration,” Trisha says. “I stayed at the Artspace Gites in Fontaine-Daniel, the brainchild of the author Ursula Benjamin. The soft light was entrancing and such a contrast to our harsh light here in Australia that I came back immensely inspired and immediately embarked on a new series exploring this foreign light.
“And then COVID-19 happened and suddenly the world changed. While we were stuck at home my daughter and I did a photoshoot by the pool and the results were so exciting I forgot about my soft romantic series and embarked on this new adventure involving hats, sparkling water, strong light and punches of color – perhaps in a bid to inject joy and a sense of hope back into our lives.”
Trisha’s favorite quote
“Becoming an artist is a long, serious progression. It entails much more than learning particular skills or techniques. It’s an internal process that ultimately becomes an addiction, a way of life. Artists aren’t artists only on certain days or certain times. Artists are artists in the way they think and live in all aspects of life.” — Melanie Rothschild, The Art of Mistakes
To see Trisha’s latest photorealism paintings, visit Saatchi Art >
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