MINNA LEUNIG
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Minna Leunig is a Victorian Surf-Coast based artist working in limited pigments to create playful, primal and earthy images inspired by the natural world. From the dry sclerophyll forests of the Strathbogie Ranges to the tangled mangroves and thick rainforests of Cape York. Her work is characterised by a wandering hand and an intuitive lyrical approach to aesthetics.
Growing up in rural North-East Victoria, Minna spent countless hours throughout her childhood and teenage years with her dogs, wandering the bush on foot and horseback. Here she developed a profound love and respect for the Australian landscape and all its flora and fauna.
This experience in the outdoors and being raised alongside animals both wild and domesticated became a conceptual starting point. Often paying homage to these plants and animals stored in memory, seeking to illustrate them as unique species and individuals – full of character, personality and spirit, in a world that so often commodifies, devalues or destroys them. Her recurring motifs affirm the strength and integrity of the natural world. They include the vital wild elements of joy, humour, and beauty, inspired by the bush’s life force and a deep abiding connection to country and creatures.
As well as exhibiting at galleries such as Backwoods, aMBUSH, Outré, Juddy Roller, Montsalvat, VS, Neon Parlour and Lamington Drive Minna has a keen interest in bringing art out of gallery spaces and into the public realm through street art. Working by the philosophy that art should be an integral part of everyday life, accessible to all.
Photography : Helga Salwe