Art for all: Drop-by Drawing

Join us on the last Sunday of the month during Maria Fernanda Cardoso: Spiders of Paradise for artist-led drop-by drawing. Enjoy an opportunity for relaxed, observational sketching, where the Maratus spider are your source of inspiration. Each month a different local artist will be on hand to provide tips, tricks and guidance to get the most out of your sketching experience. 

Sunday 30 November – Janet Matthews

Sunday 25 January – Nicky Tsekouras

Sunday 22 February  - Mahjabin Bahadori

Suitable for all ages and skill levels. 
Materials provided.

About your teaching artists

Janet Matthews
Janet Matthews is a multi-award-winning artist exhibiting regularly in Australia and overseas. Working from her Narre Warren North studio, Janet works in colour pencil and graphite with a hand cut layer. She loves to draw Australia’s botanical and wildlife subjects with intensity, personality and precise details, inspiring viewers to engage with the beauty and uniqueness of our natural world. 

Nicky Tsekouras
Nicky Tsekouras is an emerging, queer and multidisciplinary artist born in Naarm working as a visual artist and workshop facilitator for over six years. Their practise has a multimedia approach, utilising collage, drawing and experimental painting often all at once. 

Their practice is concerned with a deep desire for personal identity dissection, discussion and expression which is often conveyed through paper materials. Lately, they have been steering away from conventional art-making practices to make way for a practise which prioritises experimentation, sustainable materials and community engagement. 

Mahjabin Bahadori
Mahjabin is a multidisciplinary artist originally from Afghanistan and raised in Pakistan, now based in South-East Melbourne. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pakistan, Bachelor of Arts majoring in sociology and visual arts and currently doing Master of Teaching. She is Also teaching visual Arts and Mathematics in a Secondary college. 

Throughout her career, Mahjabin has participated in multiple exhibitions, workshops, and internships, and has won awards at both national and regional levels. Notably, her work earned the SBS Portrait Prize 2021 People’s Choice Award, and her piece Grief in Isolation 2021 was published in YERBA Magazine as part of their Isolation issue.

In addition to her art, Mahjabin is passionate about community engagement. She actively supports CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) women through art initiatives. As a Permission to Teach in a secondary college, she teaches visual arts and mathematics, integrating her artistic and educational passions to inspire students.

Image: Drop-by drawing, Bunjil Place Gallery July 2024. Photo: Damian Vincenzi

Maria Fernanda Cardoso: Spiders of Paradise is an exhibition developed and toured by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body. This project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.