Hailing from a background in interior design, Sarah Abbott has only recently shifted focus to her professional arts practice. Born in Stanthorpe, Queensland in 1983, it was a move to Whadjuk Noongar Country in Western Australia in 2019, that sparked her return to painting after many years of dormancy.
Abbott is particularly drawn to the beauty of the native botanicals that Western Australia is famed for. These being both familiar and foreign in nature capture her imagination and have proved to be an endless source of inspiration. Seasonal changes are watched with a keen eye, knowing what will be in flower when, and where to best see the natives that have come to be the main focus of her artwork. This connection to nature and place has been an important grounding force for the artist, especially against the backdrop of the turmoil of recent years and world events.
At the heart of all of Abbotts work is the pursuit of beauty. Light plays an incredibly important role, elevating the seemingly mundane into something ethereal, whilst highlighting the fleeting and temporal nature of these moments of serenity. Of equal importance is colour; vivid, balanced and joyful. Whether it be through a still life or botanical piece, she aims to foster in the viewer an appreciation of life’s small moments- fleeting pockets of time, in which the simple joy of living has been laid bare.
Despite being a relative newcomer, Abbotts work has found a loyal following with collectors and fans. Her work has been featured by Vogue Living, Inside Out Magazine, and International Artist Magazine. She was named one of ‘10 emerging artists to know from Melbourne’s Affordable Art Fair’ in 2022.