about

Lilly , she/her, b. 1993

naarm / melbourne

I am a queer painter living and working on Wurundjeri land in Naarm. I studied design and architecture in Meanjin, and I briefly trained under the guidance of Apollon Avagyan in Florence.

My practice is self guided. I paint objects I’ve found in op shops, at second-hand markets, or that my mum has hidden in the back of cupboards in my family home. I paint from scenes in the background of childhood photographs or conversations I’ve had with friends. I am interested in the soft power that exists in seemingly small moments; every day rituals that inform culture, community and connection.

I want my work to tell stories. I want to paint my friends. I want to explore themes of identity, memory, desire and worship. I want my paintings to ask questions. Mostly I just want to paint.

education

2021 queensland university of technology, master of architecture

2018 queensland university of technology, bachelor of architecture

2013 queensland college of art, bachelor of design

group shows

2024 solace, visual diary, brunswick melbourne

2024 anniversary show, visual diary, brunswick melbourne

2025 souk collective art show fundraiser, echo and bounce, woolloongabba brisbane