
Emerging Canberra-based artist Bethany Saab started painting still life only recently, during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Saab’s paintings are lively and unassuming, depicting colourful and patterned scenes of domestic life. They speak to the slowing down and nesting in of recent days, the mindful joy of a beautiful space to live, and to the directness of objects and shadows.
Working predominantly in acrylic, Saab’s works have a calm, playful energy and often feature graphic elements like stripes. They represent simple snatched moments of gratitude. Saab was exposed to art early, watching her late mother, Anne, paint landscapes in oils in her home studio in central Australia. Anne’s brushes and palette knives form part of Bethany’s tools for work.
Originally training as a psychologist, Saab has worked in mental health for over 10 years and more recently took up floral design as one half of Little Triffids Flowers. Just like her work with flowers, Saab is a self-taught painter. Her work was initially picked up by curator Amber Creswell Bell which led to a sell-out stockroom feature in August 2020 at the Michael Reid Gallery Studio Direct program.
Location: Canberra, ACT