‘Accidental artist’ in stunning debut

QUEENSTOWN artist Mary Morris has only been painting for about 12 months but already her work is hanging in an international gallery.

“I’m a bit of accidental artist,” she laughed.

“I shared my work on Wayne Elliott’s Naive Art Australia Facebook page and now I am part of an exhibition in Poland.”

Three of Ms Morris’s artworks are part of the annual Art Naif Festiwal, which is held in Katowice, Poland. They will be on display until August 10.

Unfortunately Ms Morris will not get to Poland to see her artwork hung but 12 of the 34 Australian artists involved did.

“It is so strange that my first exhibition ever was international. I would like to now be part of a major event on home soil — the Unconformity Festival in Queenstown in October,” Ms Morris said.

She moved to the West Coast town from Queensland four years ago.

“I wanted to go as far south as possible and still be Australian,” she said.

“I love the weather here and the amazing landscapes here are what inspires me.”

The Art Naif Festiwal has been running for 11 years and this year Australia is the feature country.

Ms Morris is the only Tasmanian artist involved.

The Australian artists chosen have been curated by internationally known naive artists Wayne Elliott and Marie JonssonHarrison, who have exhibited overseas for many years.

The former industrial city of Katowice has been transformed into an arts destination and its unique festival brings together more than 300 self-taught, art naif, naive art, outsider, raw, art brut and primitive artists from around the world.