ANNA GLYNN | UNBRIDLED - THE YEAR OF THE HORSE

ANNA GLYNN | UNBRIDLED - THE YEAR OF THE HORSE

Wednesday, August 5, 2026 - Sunday, August 16, 2026

The Garden Gallery - Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney

To be opened by David van Nunen OAM (FRSN, President of The Australian Watercolour Institute) SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST, 1 - 3 PM Anna has immersed herself in Chinese culture, travelling extensively to China from 2006 for exhibitions, residencies and to collaborate with Chinese artists. In 2013 she was the first foreign artist invited to exhibit in the 55 year history of Tsi Ku Chai Gallery in Hong Kong and she was Artist-in-Residence for a semester in the Department of Visual Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong. She was selected as a finalist in the inaugural 'Australian Arts in Asia Awards' in two categories: Visual Arts and Individual, for her Hidden Worlds Exhibition in Beijing, China. In 2027 she will return to China as artist in residence in Suzhou. Anna is at heart a constant maker of new worlds that, through humour and beauty, reflect her serious concerns. With an ongoing practice of over forty years, she has been recognised with numerous awards including a 2023 International Women's Day Arts Award and her work is held in esteemed collections including: Australian Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra; National Museum of Australia Collection, Canberra; Shoalhaven City Art Collection, Art Gallery of Ballarat; the Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings and the Geneto Art Foundation, Japan. INK WORKS "Anna’s ink works fuse Chinese traditional ink painting techniques with a Western aesthetic, creating a poetic contemporary style and expressing her unique visual language. Her paintings are tranquil, aesthetic, and poetic, brilliantly integrating Chinese and Western art. Through water and ink, she sees the world.” - Mr. Kung Man, Tsi Ku Chai Gallery, Hong Kong, 2013

Ink on xuan paper 92 x 170 cm - image 110 x 240 cm - scroll This allegorical work represents a union with two equine creatures united as one, representing a marriage. Within the relationship the birds act as puppeteers directing characters and events - moving within and beneath the layers of cultures and society - choreographing this marriage dance

Ink on xuan paper 171 x 93 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash contained within a crisp silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink A gentle relationship. Is this a courtship? A tattooing of trees, dancing birds and leaves create a fusion between plant and animal, borders blurred, boundaries removed, nature married

Ink on xuan paper 92 x 170 cm - image 108 x 190 cm - scroll Two equine creatures meet, a courtship of phantastic creatures, part horse, part bird. The horse with power and the graceful arch of the neck, the long-legged birds within acting as cultural puppeteers. A journey to strange new places

Horse Tree Lovers

Ink on xuan paper 88 x 58 cm - image 200 x 72 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash contained within a crisp silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink A romance, a courtship, hybrid creatures and a fusion between plant and animal, borders blurred, boundaries removed, nature married

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 66 cm - image 200 x 80 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash containing a crisp, equine, arboresque silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink Fusing Chinese and Norwegian influences this work was created after consecutive residencies in both countries. Culture crossing but nature and mythology present and merging

Mountain Horses

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 66 cm - image 201 x 80 cm - scroll Red ink wash contained within a crisp silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink The statuesque red horses stand as sentinels, infilled with fantastic landscapes, worlds within. A distant sailing ship approaches, sailing to where?

Strange Ballet - Polonaise

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 64 cm - image 184 x 86 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash contained within a crisp silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink The curious bird, the gentle horse, a dance

Strange Ballet - Virtuoso

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 64 cm - image 184 x 86 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash contained within a crisp silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink Reaching up, the horse creating a stage for the balletic bird

Strange Ballet - Prologue

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 64 cm - image 180 x 80 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash contained within a crisp silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink The horse and the bird, a dance, a conversation, a relationship. Nature in dialogue

Strange Ballet - Pirouette

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 64 cm - image 180 x 80 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash contained within a crisp silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink. The horse and the birds, a joyous choreographed dance in careful balance

Urban Conversation

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 66 cm - image 175 x 74 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash contained within a crisp silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent bodies marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink. Two creatures in conversation, the balancing bird asking the questions of life and the universe. Does the horse have the answer?

Black Forest Horse

Ink on xuan paper 50 x 25 cm - image 129 x 32 cm - scroll

Enchanted Grove

Ink on xuan paper 91 x 170 cm Water and ink create an enchanted world where birds prance and fly whilst rabbits converse in the treetops

Pony Dreams by Full Moon

Ink on xuan paper 131 x 65 cm - image 180 x 86 cm - scroll Working freely layering translucent water and ink, forms emerge creating suggestions to be followed, elaborated on On a moonlit night an ebony pony gazes to a bright moon sky. A mysterious white horse flies through the translucent clouds. Heaven and earth, light and dark

Rain Falls on Ghost Horse

Ink on xuan paper 131 x 65 cm - image 180 x 86 cm - scroll Working freely layering translucent water and ink, forms emerge creating suggestions to be followed, elaborated on A diaphanous white horse gazes under a soft rain sky. Cranes converse, discussing life as birds, as gods of the sky

Blue Sailing Horse

Ink on xuan paper 65 x 66 cm - image 200 x 80 cm - scroll Midnight blue sky of the Hardangerfjord created with a traditional ink wash. A proud sailing horse, a vessel, a forest contained within, a gliding ship upon which dancing cranes cavort and navigate with joyous abandon Fusing Chinese and Norwegian influences this work was created after consecutive residencies in both countries. Culture crossing but nature and mythology present

Red Sailing Horse & Bird

Ink on xuan paper 50 x 25 cm - image 138 x 33 cm - scroll Serene pink cloud sky, a proud sailing horse, a vessel, a gliding ship upon which a dancing crane cavorts and navigates with joyous abandon, to where? Fusing Chinese and Norwegian influences this work was created after consecutive residencies in both countries. Culture crossing but nature and mythology present

Ink on xuan paper 120 x 46 cm - image 172 x 54 cm - scroll The majestic red horse stand as a sentinel, infilled with fantastic landscapes, sailing ships, dancing birds, graceful trees, worlds within

Cloud Gazing Horse

Ink on xuan paper 69 x 32 cm - image 176 x 47 cm - scroll Layering translucent red ink and water, forms emerge creating suggestions to be followed, elaborated on A white cloud encrusted tree reaching to heaven, embraces a black horse gazing

Blue Elegant Horse

Ink on xuan paper 65 x 65 cm - image 202 x 78 cm - scroll A midnight blue horse, a proud stance, a fantastic creature, part horse, part bird. The horse with power and the graceful arch of the neck, the long-legged birds within acting as cultural puppeteers. A journey to a strange new place

Ink on xuan paper 65 x 65 cm - image 202 x 78 cm - scroll A red horse, a proud stance, a fantastic creature, part horse, part bird strides with power and grace. A pair of long-legged birds within acting as cultural puppeteers journeying to a strange new place

Blue Forest Horse

Ink on xuan paper 83 x 65 cm - image 200 x 80 cm - scroll Traditional ink wash containing a crisp, equine, arboresque silhouette Midnight blue wash beneath a crisp, equine, arboresque silhouette. Control and flow. Translucent and marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink Fusing Chinese and Norwegian influences this work was created after consecutive residencies in both countries. Culture crossing but nature and mythology present and merging

White Cloud Horse & Crane

Ink on xuan paper 49 x 25 cm - image 80 x 33 cm - framed Blue wash beneath a crisp, equine, arboresque silhouette. A horse gazes to a crane flying across a semi-translucent sky marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink

White Cloud Horse Gazing & Bird

Ink on xuan paper 49 x 25 cm - image 80 x 33 cm - framed Blue wash beneath a crisp, equine, arboresque silhouette. A horse gazes to a crane flying across a semi-translucent sky marbled by the soft tides of spreading ink

Blue Horse Dreaming

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 65 cm - image 200 x 81 cm - scroll Midnight blue palette created with a traditional ink wash. A proud horse with bowed head, a forest, deer gaze skyward contained within Fusing Chinese and Norwegian influences this work was created after consecutive residencies in both countries. Culture crossing but nature and mythology present

Stately Black Embroidered Horse

Ink on xuan paper 25 x 25 cm - image 34 x 38 cm - framed Embroidered vines embrace a crisp, equine, silhouette. Traditional ink wash, control and flow Suggestions of merging cultures intertwining, but nature and mythology present and merging

Elegant Black Embroidered Horse

Ink on xuan paper 25 x 25 cm - image 34 x 38 cm - framed Embroidered vines embrace a crisp, equine, silhouette. Traditional ink wash, control and flow Suggestions of merging cultures intertwining, but nature and mythology present and merging

Red Horse White Birds

Ink on xuan paper 25 x 25 cm - image 32 x 32 cm - framed A red horse, strides forward with power and grace, a fantastic creature, part horse and part bird. Long-legged birds within acting as cultural puppeteers journeying to a strange new place. Where are they going?

Ink on xuan paper 33 x 69 cm -image 43 x 113 cm - framed A red sailing horse, silhouetted against a serene pink cloud sky. A vessel, a proudly gliding ship upon which dancing cranes cavort and navigate with joyous abandon

Red Elegant Horse Bird

Ink on xuan paper 58 x 92 cm - image 58 x 104 cm - framed

Bird Horse Travels 1

Ink on xuan paper 31 x 31 cm - image 52 x 52 cm - framed A strange equine, canine creature, part horse, part bird with a suggestion of dog. The horse with power and the graceful arch of the neck, the long-legged birds within steering to realms beyond and unknown

Bird Horse Travels 2

Ink on xuan paper 31 x 31 cm - image 52 x 52 cm - framed A strange equine, canine creature, part horse, part bird with a suggestion of dog. The horse with power and the graceful arch of the neck, the long-legged birds within steering to realms beyond and unknown

Proud Horse Bird

Ink on xuan paper 49 x 60 cm - image 49 x 60 cm - framed A black horse, strides forward, a fantastic creature, part horse and part bird. Long-legged birds within acting as cultural puppeteers journeying to a strange new place. Where have they been?

Ink on xuan paper 92 x 170 cm (scroll) Working freely with water and ink allowing mysterious shapes to form creating a watery glade. Beyond a stand of ghostlike diaphanous trees a black steed stands proudly, looking to the distance

Waiting for Redemption

Ink on xuan paper 132 x 66 cm - image 170 x 74 cm - scroll Layering translucent ink to create a tumultuous nocturnal sky. Within a cave, mysterious cranes gather and converse, discussing life as birds, as gods of the sky. What are the answers to the world, the universe, the questions of life the birds ask?

Kangaroo Valley Myth

acrylic on stretched canvas 102 x 304 cm “After this I kept on beholding, and, see there! another beast, one like a leopard…” A creature of the imagination…a creature of reality? I place myself, a voyeur amongst the trees within this strange nocturnal landscape, waiting…

Cockawongs at Riversdale

oil on canvas 76 x 91 cm During a year working with Arthur Boyd this work was painted plein air within the ancient Bundanon landscape. Birds fly above and dart between the trees, short glimpses…is this a cockatoo, a currawong…I rename this hybrid a cockawong

Birds at Burrill

oil on canvas 59 x 89 cm Painted plein air beside the lake, plovers call and dance in their particular way, sideways, forwards, follow me, ignore my chicks

Beyond Cullunghutti

oil on canvas 60 x 90 cm Painted plein air of Cullunghutti (Coolangatta Mountain) imaginary hybrid blue wren birds arc through the sky

Eurotipodes Bucolic Wonderland 1

Archival photomontage on cotton rag paper (edition 1 of 7) 100 x 84 cm- framed A multilayered photomontage, is composed of reimagined imagery manipulated and gathered from historical archives and contemporary sources. ‘Eurotipodes’, is a term I created to express my feelings about the Eurocentric interpretation of the world, the notion that the Northern Hemisphere is the ‘right’ way up and we hang upside down giddily suspended in our opposite ‘Antipodes’. The interaction and placement of creatures invite the viewer to reconsider assumptions: about what counts as “normal” orientation, perspective, and which histories are foregrounded or marginalized. This work questions colonial history, representation, mythmaking, ecology, extinction, introduced species and ecological changes. I use flora and fauna, emblematic, native and introduced to reflect environmental concerns: how landscapes have been changed, species lost, or ecological balance disrupted. The orientation of the iconic horse, upside down, inverted, is not just metaphorical, but a device to destabilize comfortable narratives. References: A direct north general view of Sydney Cove ... 1794 attributed to Thomas Watling 'Kangaroos in a Landscape’ John Lewin 1819 Henry Stone and his Durham ox by Thomas Flintoff 1887

Eurotipodes Arriving – Take Your Medicine

archival photomontage on cotton rag paper 100 x 43 cm - framed Lewin’s kangaroo stares waving a British flag into an uncertain future whilst native fairy like phasmids flit and rise. An oversized giant castor oil plant frames this scene – an introduced invasive weed used for medicinal purposes including as a laxative… The flag is the British flag that was planted on European arrival. References: . The Founding of Australia. By Capt Arthur Phillip RN Sydney Cove, Jan 26th 1788 1937 By Algernon Talmage RA (flag) . 'Kangaroos in a Landscape’ John Lewin 1819 . Ricinus (castor oil plant - Ricinus communis), c.1806 by Lewin.

Dingo Walks on Water

Photomontage on archival cotton rag paper 64 x 100 cm - framed I make the connection between myself living within this landscape, the historical past and the tenuous present. I include my own watercolour interpretation of Stubbs painting of a Dingo into a historical mashup, playing with imagery and history to create a new narrative. My connection with my catholic upbringing seeps through to portray a native Australian animal, the dingo, gliding effortlessly upon the glassy pink water. Mountains and sky are inverted in our upside-down antipodean land, connected to a European aesthetic and interpretation of landscape, flora and fauna.