THE ARTIST RESIDENCY
We are delighted to welcome Tsering Hannaford as Paspaley’s latest artist-in-residence.
The Paspaley Artist Residency celebrates Australia’s leading contemporary talent, harnessing the transformative power of art to evoke the spirit of the Kimberley.
The Paspaley family hosts each artist on an immersive journey across Australia’s remote north-west coastline, exploring our pearl farms and working en plein air to capture the extraordinary landscapes of Kuri Bay and the Osbourne Islands.
Returning to the studio, the artist translates the experience into works of art, inviting audiences to discover the region’s wild beauty through their unique perspective.
"The residency invites artists to adventure in the Kimberley, immersed in the landscape surrounding Kuri Bay. Every morning, a boat and staff are at the artist’s disposal, ready to take them in whatever direction their inspiration guides,"
- Mia Bracher, Paspaley family member
Supporting Contemporary Artists
Established to foster Australian contemporary art and to promote the birthplace of Paspaley pearls, the Artist Residency offers a rare opportunity for artists to experience one of the country's most remote environments.
With past participants representing some of Australia’s most celebrated working artists, including Luke Sciberras and Elisabeth Cummings, each residency builds on an enduring collection of works that capture the vast beauty of the Kimberley.
This year, Tsering Hannaford has created Mirror and Merroir: Reflections of the Kimberley, a series of paintings inspired by her walks along the shorelines, secluded bays and sandy inlets surrounding Kuri Bay.
Rather than attempting to capture the immense scale of the Kimberley directly, Hannaford focuses on the details, revealing the landscape through shells, pearls, weathered rock formations and the changing light.
"The Kimberley invited me to slow down and observe – from the rhythm of the tides to the beauty of shells and pearls. I hope these paintings evoke that same sense of reflection, stillness and connection with nature,"
- Tsering Hannaford
About Tsering Hannaford
Tsering Hannaford is a South Australian contemporary artist renowned for her portraits and still life paintings. After studying Psychology and Art History at the University of Adelaide, she developed a largely self-taught practice, later refining her technical approach at the Art Students League of New York, Grand Central Atelier, and Studio Escalier in France.
A twelve-time Archibald Prize finalist, Tsering was Highly Commended in both the 2020 Archibald and the 2014 Portia Geach Memorial Award. Her work is held in significant public and private collections, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Portrait Gallery.
Alongside her studio practice, Tsering is a fellow of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts, serves on the board of not-for-profit arts organisation Guildhouse and sponsors the Tsering Hannaford Prize for Realist Portraiture as part of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts’ Youthscape Prize.
