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Sophie Dunlop – Flourish

7 February – 28 February 2026
Art Atrium
Level 1/48 Alfred Street South, Milsons Point, NSW 2061

Exhibition Opening: Saturday 7 February 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Exhibition Opening / Vernissage to be launched by:
Ross Harvey (Sydney-based classical realist painter represented by Australian Galleries)

Art Atrium 48 is proud to present Flourish, an exhibition of recent paintings by Sophie Dunlop. Since studying floristry in 2022-23, Dunlop has found a new medium through which to express her artistry: the world of flowers. These miracles of nature have taken her down new pathways – amaranthus, gladiolus, pelargonium, dahlia, anemone, narcissus, dianthus and magnolia – each revealing their own distinctive colours, lines, textures, fragrance and message.

Dunlop’s garden has become a fertile ground for her creativity to flourish. Here she composes and arranges her plants, watching them as they grow and change with the hours and seasons. Flowers evoke memories and feelings, allowing us to experience wonder and awe in the natural world. In turn, flowers have reshaped Dunlop’s artistic lens – transforming the way she sees, experiences and paints the world around her.

Guided by her father’s words, “You have to paint what you love!”, and his encouragement to explore new subject matter and learn from art history, Dunlop has incorporated the rich traditions of floristry into her paintings. She has started bringing flowers into her studio to paint, as well as taking still-life objects into her garden to observe them in new settings. Dunlop continues to be inspired by the props that adorn her studio – textiles, glassware, porcelain and seashells. Now, flowers have finally found their way into her paintings, taking on a more prominent role.

Inspired by a visit to the market or an exotic garden, Sophie Dunlop relishes the unique and intricate details of each object she conveys. Her meticulous style is countered with a curious eye and unconventional composition, to provide the viewer with a fresh yet thoughtful vision of the familiar. Echoing the evocative nature of a bromeliad or a luxurious oriental carpet, which are favourite motifs, Sophie imbues her subject matter with a quality that goes beyond the purely visual. She injects the canvas with intensified colour and texture so that the viewer may go beyond the surface to touch and smell the succulent flesh or the foliage she paints, to embrace the luxurious weight of the exotic fabrics.

Still Life | Figures | Gardens | Landscapes