Alison Michaela

My work centres around experiences of the mind influenced by the memory of music and theatre. Having enjoyed a career firstly in violin teaching, then in visual design, my fascination with both worlds is combined in my art practice.


Quiet observation is an important part of my creative process. Out of initially abstract brushstrokes, figures and forms begin to emerge from finer markings of tinted charcoal and pastel, elucidating wistful expressions, dramatic emotional states or theatrical scenes.



I am deeply inclined towards the inner world of thoughts, ideas and memories - an elusive space that can feel disconnected from reality. This feeling is brought to the fore in my work, which draws upon my formative experiences in music and theatre. From an early age I collected theatre programmes filled with sketches of period costumes and set designs that have had a palpable influence on my compositions. In a theatrical setting the inner, imaginative world is championed.

Diploma of Graphic Design and Communication, Enmore Design Centre, 2010

Graduate Diploma, Violin Performance, 2004

Bachelor of Music, Griffith University, 2002

‘Inner Theatre’, a themed exhibition of my recent works as part of ‘STELLAR Showcase’, an event run by RAW Artists Australia. (Forthcoming, August 2019)

Waverley Art Prize Finalists Exhibition (July 2019)

Minister’s Award for Excellence in Art (1999)