Abstraction, material experimentation and layered gestures form the elements of a solo exhibition by Sunshine Coast artist Odessa Mahony-de Vries at Mitchell Fine Art in Brisbane from 5th May.
Unbound marks a significant milestone for emerging artist Odessa Mahony-de Vries, whose large-scale abstract paintings have gained attention for their physical, process-driven approach to mark making.
Based in the Sunshine Coast, Mahony-de Vries is part of a new generation of Queensland artists exploring abstraction through material experimentation and embodied process. In 2025 Mahony-de Vries was a finalist in the Redland Art Prize and the Stanthorpe Art Prize in 2024.
Working intuitively, Mahony-de Vries builds her compositions through pouring, scraping and reworking paint to create surfaces that shift between control and unpredictability.
“I’m interested in letting go of control,” says Mahony-de Vries. “I want the work to surprise me—there’s a point where it starts to feel slightly out of my hands.”
The resulting works carry visible traces of their making, with earlier marks partially revealed beneath successive layers.
Her practice is rooted in responsiveness, where every new element is both an echo of what came before and an invitation to what might emerge next.
Her work invites viewers to witness not just the final image but the evolving process that brought it into being.
The exhibition is showing 5 - 16 May 2026.
An Opening Event will be held on Friday 8 May, 6 – 8pm with Odessa Mahony-de Vries in attendance.
All events are free, RSVPs not required.