Noel McKenna

Noel McKenna works in a variety of mediums, including ceramics, metal sculpture, enamel and watercolour paints. Through these various methods of art making, McKenna instils a humble and engaging quality to familiar imagery. Through a scumbled rendering of a lonely house, McKenna adds an extra dimension to an already allusive image. By painting an image from the Sydney Morning Herald in watercolour, McKenna adds a liveliness absent from newspaper print.   Recently McKenna has been working on a series portraying oversized tourist attractions. The big scotsman, the big pineapple, the list goes on. These off beat icons of Australian kitsch are portrayed with honest acceptance.

The work communicates the humour of these strange sculptures as well as the isolation of these rural land marks.  McKenna's work has a growing profile. Regularly listed in the Australian Art Collector's 50 most collectable artists, his paintings, ceramics, sculpture and drawings are appreciated by collectors and curators alike. His work is included In numerous public collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Queensland Art Gallery. He was also the recipient of the 2001 Melbourne Savage Club Acquisitive Art Prize. Noel lives and works in Sydney.