Navy Bathers II

Navy Bathers captures a quiet, suspended moment at the water’s edge — that breath just before immersion.

Seated in profile against a vast horizon, the figure adjusts her emerald swim cap, poised between stillness and motion. The deep navy of her swimsuit anchors the composition, echoing the ocean beyond, while warm sunlit skin tones bring softness and humanity to the scene. There is both strength and vulnerability here — the ritual of preparation, the private focus before entering open water.

The restrained palette and expansive negative space lend the work a contemporary calm, allowing the female form to feel sculptural yet intimate. As with much of Kate Harkin’s practice, the Australian coastline becomes more than backdrop — it is atmosphere, memory and emotion.

Navy Bathers speaks to ritual, resilience and the meditative rhythm of the sea. A timeless piece that brings serenity, strength and quiet sophistication to an interior.

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Kate Harkin is a Brisbane-based contemporary realist artist whose work captures the luminous stillness and everyday poetry of Australian life. Known for her crisp figurative style and sunlit coastal palettes, Kate paints swimmers, tiled still-lifes, and wide rural horizons with a cinematic calm that feel both nostalgic and unmistakably modern.

Since beginning her practice in 2021, Kate has steadily built a strong collector base, placing dozens of original works and fine-art prints into private collections across Australia and internationally. Her work has been showcased in curated exhibitions and art shows, including the Toowoomba Art Show, and has been recognised through multiple Staff Picks and curations on Bluethumb — including selection as a feature artist for Faversham House in Victoria.

Kate’s profile has expanded across both traditional and digital media. She has been featured in House & Garden UK, awarded an artist page in Tatler UK, and appeared as a featured artist on Foxtel’s Love It or List It Australia. Her social media presence continues to grow, with consistently strong engagement and a developing audience drawn to her behind-the-scenes process videos and coastal storytelling.

Kate’s practice is grounded in themes of connection, memory, and the colour language of the Australian landscape — a celebration of quiet moments, sunlit spaces, and the emotional warmth of a well-held scene.

Kate’s art works are available for purchase as originals or as limited edition signed prints.
Kate has received the following awards
* Merit Award 2020 Art Room Gallery
* Honorable mention 2020 Modern Art Show for Grey Cube Gallery
* 2021 Bluethumb staff picks for ‘Azure’ & ‘Azzurro’
* Bluethumb selected Feature Artist 2021
* Daily Picks Bluethumb Art for ‘Verde’, 2022
* Feature Artist in Spotlight Contemporary Art Magazine 2022
* Blue thumb staff picks ‘Hold Your Breath’, 2022
* Featured House & Garden Magazine , UK 2022
* Selected in Bluethumb Curation for art that transports, 2022
* Circle foundation feature artist 2022
* Featured in The World of Interiors Magazine 2022
* Bluethumb staff picks for ‘Citrus’, 2022
* Featured in British Vogue UK 2023
* Artistic Excellence Award for Circle Foundation Artist of the Year, 2023
* Top featured artist - Art Tour International 2023
* Masterful Minds artists to watch March 2024
* Featured in UK House & Garden June 2024
* Exhibited works at Toowoomba Grammar Art Show 2025
* Staff Picks for Reflections in Blue 2025
* Feature artist on Foxtel’s Love It or List It Australia 2025
* Feature Artist Faversham House Vic 2025