Amanda van Gils is an Australian artist whose work examines perception, memory, and the emotional resonance of place. Her paintings draw on the landscape not simply as subject, but as a site of enquiry – a way to explore what sits beneath the surface of experience. Known for her luminous ‘motion landscapes’ and shifting skies, Amanda’s work invites quiet attention and reflection.
Her latest series, The Shape of What’s True, continues this exploration through a new material approach. Returning to watercolour and reintroducing text as a visual element, these layered works explore how belief shapes identity and how meaning often resides in what is felt rather than what is seen. Glimpses of partially obscured words echo the subconscious influences and internal narratives that inform our sense of self.
Amanda’s work has been exhibited in more than 120 exhibitions, including over 25 solo shows across Australia as well as small showings internationally in Berlin, Hong Kong and New York. Her paintings are held in public and private collections, including Monash University, Greenslopes Private Hospital, and Gold Coast University Hospital. She holds a BFA from Monash University and a Postgraduate Diploma from the Victorian College of the Arts.
Alongside her studio practice, Amanda is the founder of The Artists Business Lounge, an award-winning coaching business supporting artists to build strong, sustainable practices without compromising their creative integrity.
Statement
My practice explores the layered nature of experience, specifically how perception, memory, and emotion shape the way we navigate the world. Landscape offers a framework for this enquiry, not as a destination, but as a space where internal states and shifting awareness can be made visible.
Working primarily with paint, I use layered colour, translucent glazes, and shifting edges to create images that suggest more than they reveal. My recent works extend this approach through watercolour, pushing luminosity and fluidity further while maintaining the same sensitivity to surface and atmosphere. The ideas at the core of each piece guide the choice of material.
Text appears in some works as a quiet presence – obscured or half-visible – acting as both a visual element and a conceptual echo. Mirroring the internal dialogues and beliefs that, often unnoticed, shape our identity, Titles offer subtle entry points, suggesting emotional tone without dictating meaning.
Each painting is both a material and a reflective process. The works are an invitation to slow down, look closely, reflect and stay open to what might surface.