Lyn Laver-Ahmat
Mackay, , Queensland
I am a Contemporary Queensland Artist based in Mackay. My work is largely inspired by concerns for the environment and from my time in nature.
Message
Based in Slade Point, Mackay, I create mixed media works that explore the deep connection between land, memory, and story. Using acrylics, ink, oil, and cold wax – often applied with handmade tools crafted from natural materials – I paint intuitively, letting the landscape guide my mark-making. My work reflects a commitment to environmental preservation and respect for Indigenous culture, transforming the Australian landscape into poetic expressions of place and belonging.
Statement
My practice centers on the dynamic Australian landscape, expressed through paintings that radiate light and movement along with gestural energetic drawings. I work intuitively, drawing on memory, lived experience and a deep connection to place. My semi-abstracted landscapes capture the spirit and atmosphere of the Australian bush and the environment that I encounter closer to home, celebrating the joy, vitality and emotional resonance of the natural world.
A reverence for nature underpins my work. I am passionate about protecting Australian environments, and the commitment has shaped both my artistic direction and the residencies I have undertaken including Hamilton Island, Bimblebox Nature Reserve, and the St Lawrence Wetlands. These immersive experiences continue to inform my visual language and strengthen my relationship with the land.
My practice can extend beyond traditional media. I am currently collaborating with a historian on research into two significant historical women for an exhibition scheduled for next year. I have also expanded my oeuvre through animation, exhibiting my drawing process through projected movement, silhouettes and sculptural props.
I have held numerous solo exhibitions, including Mackay Artspace; Bauhinia Gallery Springsure; Emerald Art Gallery; Coal Face Gallery, Moranbah; Cedar Gallery Eungella; Milton House Gallery, Mackay; and Pilgrim Uniting Church, Adelaide.
My work has received multiple awards most recently winner of “ourSCAPE” Artists Connect Inc. Bowen, (2026); 2D Award Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Comp. (2024); “Best in Show” Mackay Art Society (2023); I have twice won the Works on Paper Award at Art on Show Mackay,(2021, 2019) prizes in the Whitsunday Arts Comp. and Central Highlands Art Comp. (2023); and overall winner of the John Villiers Outback Art Prize, Winton, Qld.(2021)
I have been selected as a finalist in major art prizes including the Pro Hart Art Prize, (Broken Hill) Revival Emerging Art Prize, (Brisbane), Lethbridge Art Exhibition (Brisbane), Percival Portrait Prize (Townsville) Pine Rivers Art Prize (Brisbane) The Mervyn Moriarty Landscape Prize, Flying Arts Inc. and Whitsunday Art Prize, Qld Regional Art Awards, Flying Arts Inc.
My work is held in numerous private collections and selected works are represented by Cedar Gallery, Eungella and Hamilton Island Art Gallery as well as my home studio/art gallery in Slade Point, Mackay.
For more information on my previous exhibitions and awards click on my CV below.