Nat Ward

Nat Ward
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Biography:

Nat gained a BFA (major Painting) from Canterbury University. She paints the landscapes she spends time hiking through, namely bushland (Nailcan Hill) and the Murray river in Albury.

Her aim is to initiate a real and compelling dialogue with the viewer, inviting them to look much closer at these landscapes on a micro and macro level. The hope is to trigger interest in the nuances of the bushland, focusing on sometimes overlooked elements, that at first glance could be considered innocuous.

Finding unexpected gentle fragility, surprising and intricate entanglements, ambiguous shapes and whimsical colours, are some of the concerns she addresses.

 

"My main concern is for my paintings to be intriguing, to evoke curiosity which I hope leads to knowledge and respect of the unique and complex landscape I paint"

In 2023, Nat embarked on a major project that culminated in the Noreuil exhibition at MAMA (Murray Art Museum Albury) in 2024. This work explored the historical connection between Albury’s Noreuil Park and the French village of Noreuil, commemorating the soldiers who fought in a pivotal WWI battle.?

Nat has held successful solo exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne, and Albury and has been a finalist in numerous prestigious art prizes, including The Hadley's Art Prize, The Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, The John Leslie Landscape Prize, and the Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize. Her work has won several people’s choice awards and is held in public and private collections in Australia and worldwide.

In 2025 she won the John Villiers Outback Art Prize and was awarded Highly Commended in The Lethbridge 

Résumé:

Education

Canterbury University ~ Bachelor of Fine Arts (Major - painting)

 

Recent Exhibitions

2025 Solo Exhibition, Manyung Gallery, Mount Eliza

2024 MAMA Public Regional Gallery 'Noreuil' project

2024 Group show Grainger Gallery

2023 ‘The Collectors Canvas’, Manyung Gallery’, Malvern

2023 Rochfort Gallery group show

2023 Korean Cultural Centre 10-year anniversary group show

2022 Group show ‘Interconnected’, NERAM

2021 'Wildflowers on Nailcan', Manyung Gallery, Malvern

2020 Sydney Royal Botanical Garden 'Plants' Group Show

2019 Group Show 'Dolci' Rochfort Gallery

2019 Group Show Manyung Gallery, Flinders

2019 Solo show Rochfort Gallery

2018 Group show 'Petals and Pods' Rochfort Gallery

2018 Group show 'Land and Sea' Rochfort Gallery

2018 Group show ‘Whimsy’ Rochfort Gallery

2016 Group exhibition, Manyung Gallery, Malvern

2016 Solo show MAMA, Albury

      

Commendations & Awards:
2025 Highly Commended Lethbridge Prize for Landscape More

2025 Finalist Omnia Art Prize

2025 Finalist Milburn Art Prize

2025 Winner John Villiers Outback Prize More

2025 Finalist Flanagan's Art prize

2025 Finalist John Villiers Outback prize

2024 Finalist Muswellbrook Art Prize

2023 Finalist KAAF Art Prize

2023 Finalist WAMA works on paper

2023 Finalist Ravenswood Art Prize for Women

2022 Finalist Regional Landscape Award

2022 Finalist Kangaroo Valley Art Prize

2022 Hadley Art Prize finalist

2022 Finalist – Lethbridge small scale prize

2021 Finalist KAAF Art Prize Sydney

2021 Geelong Contemporary Art Prize finalist

2020 Semi-finalist KAAF Art Prize

2020 Artwork Cover for Royal Botanical Gardens, Autumn edition

2019 Singapore Art Fair, selected representation

2019 Winner - Waverley Art Price

2019 Selected art for ephemeral project, Wodonga Council

2018 Finalist John Leslie award for landscape

2017 Selected artist -'the other art fair Sydney'

2017 FIRST PRIZE Trinity acquisitive art award

2017 Feature artist GO LOCAL magazine

2016 Public art (Central Albury substation)

2016 Finalist Pro Hart outback award

2016 Feature artist, Trinity Art Award

2015 Highly commended Hume Art Award

2014 Finalist Hume Art Award

2012 Highly commended Hume Art Award

2012 People’s Choice (joint) Hume Art Award

2012 Selected artist, Wonga Wetlands ephemeral project

Statement:

"The Australian bush is full of complex intricacies, the ever-changing light, the forms of the trees and wildflowers and the nuanced light.

My latest work seeks to capture a sense of this, whilst not being overly descriptive, rather portray a feeling of immersion. The ‘scrubland’ of Nail Can Hill, where I often hike, offers a wonder of curious complexities which I am particularly interested in painting. It is my way of bringing to light the understated beauty of a sometimes innocuous and overlooked environment and an opportunity to reflect on these details of nature that have a gentle beauty."

Associated Exhibitions

Nat Ward Feature
Manyung Gallery Malvern
18 November - 2 December, 2023
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Nat Ward
'Wattles and Wildflowers'

Manyung Gallery Malvern
30 July - 13 August, 2022
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Nat Ward
'Wildflowers on Nail Can'

Manyung Gallery Malvern
19 June - 9 July, 2021
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Maria Coyle & Nat Ward
Manyung Gallery Flinders
10 August - 24 August, 2019
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End of Year Group Exhibition
Manyung Gallery Malvern
8 December - 24 December, 2016
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