Antonia Mrljak's art exudes a dynamic force. It mirrors her personality - one of energy, vibrancy and a sure sense of direction. She is one of Australia's most exciting emerging abstract artists. But it wasn't until after a career in fashion and creating a family that, almost by accident, she discovered that painting was the perfect way for her to express her experiences. Her Sicilian background and childhood strongly influence her work and this interview is as much a story of the journey of second generation Australians as it is the ability to succeed in art through sheer passion. Enterprisingly, she painted live at Sydney Contemporary in 2019 creating a nine metre high work in front of thousands of viewers attending the art fair. Antonia is represented in both Sydney and Melbourne by major commercial galleries and has a busy post-COVID year in 2021. Scroll down for details of upcoming shows. I met up with Antonia at her recent show 'Ground' at Nanda\Hobbs in Sydney and I'll be uploading a short video of Antonia in her studio and the gallery to the Talking with Painters YouTube channel and to this website soon. We recorded this podcast interview in Antonia's studio in Sydney surrounded by her recent work. To hear our conversation click on 'play' beneath the above feature photo. Upcoming shows James Makin Gallery, launch and catalogue release, 11 December 2020 Nanda\Hobbs, group show, 'Place', January 2021 James Makin Gallery, summer group show, January 2021 James Makin Gallery, solo show, 2021 Nanda\Hobbs salon show (special edition), April 2021 Becker Minty, solo show, 2021 'Ritual', 2020, oil on linen, 183 x 152cm 'Girl with fig', 2020, 183 x 152cm 'The clouds moved so quickly it left the sky blue', 2020, oil on linen, 146 x 146cm 'A garden of rust and desire', 2020, oil on linen, 157 x 158cm 'I have come home I', 2020, oil on linen, 183 x 152cm 'No rules', 2020, oil on linen, 152 x 122cm