Catherine Kennedy

PAINTER

Catherine Kennedy is a painter and installation artist who lives and works in Sydney and Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.

Catherine began her art studies at the National Art School, Darlinghurst and has recently completed an M.F.A. by research at COFA/UNSW Art and Design.

Some of Catherine’s recent solo exhibitions include No direction home (AD space) and Just passing through (Black box) UNSW Art and Design (2015), Catherine Kennedy at Colorida Colorida Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal (2013), In my mother’s house At the Vanishing Point, Newtown, NSW (2012), Every night I dreamed something happened to my car, Ben Roberts Gallery, Lawson NSW (2010) and Don’t Pay the Ferryman, The Landship (Sydney Harbour Authority), Georges Heights NSW (2008).

“Being privy to Catherine Kennedy’s world is not a prosaic experience. It is a different kind of experience altogether. In her world, things don’t just exist, they exist within other things: a relational attitude that invariably positions her work at a critical juncture between poetry and polemics. We may not find the journey easy, but what we do get is a piece of the action, the real deal. She gives us the inside story: the rest is up to us. Kennedy invites us to explore an alternative reality that exists beyond our own limiting structures. Invoking the language of dreams – the associative, symbolic and metaphoric – she translates the experiences that populate her subconscious in order to assert a break from the structural spell.

Apparently unrelated images, hues and textures vie for attention, yet the arrangements are hardly serendipitous. They are as judicious as her use of material and technique: pop culture cut+paste of transfers and raw directness of stencil art – both references to the now of our age – dovetail with a repeated patterning so emblematic of tradition. This form of montage is the artist’s expression of her subconscious – both real and imagined. It is a compelling approach. Despite the strongly autobiographical content, our engagement is secured: we can transcend the idiosyncracy of Kennedy’s inner world because, when articulated via the subconscious, the limiting structures that are shown to construct her identity – within family, community, and society in general – are recognisably those that also construct ours.”

– Excerpt from catalogue essay for In my mother’s house ATVP Newtown. March, 2012 by Mike Barnard

On Instagram: @catherinekennedyartist

Exhibitions & Events

Current Exhibition

Catherine Kennedy:

Narrative Paintings Exhibition

Arts Blue Mountains
10 – 31st May – 2025

Event Description

🎨 Catherine Kennedy: Narrative Paintings Exhibition
🗓️ Opening: Saturday 10 May, 2–4pm
📍 Arts Blue Mountains Gallery, 9 Honour Avenue, Lawson
🎶 Live music by Karl Javernig

Step into the bold, whimsical world of Catherine Kennedy, where each brushstroke tells a story and nostalgia meets pop culture with a twist. Her latest exhibition at Arts Blue Mountains — the creative space lovingly curated by Carolynne Skinner in Lawson — invites visitors to explore a suite of narrative paintings rich in character, colour, and cleverness.

The featured work, “Goodness, is that the time!”, offers a playful nod to mid-20th-century pop culture — starring none other than Dick Tracy and his iconic two-way wrist radio. If you didn’t recognise him, don’t worry — there’s plenty more to discover and decode at the opening event.

Join us for the official opening celebration on Saturday 10 May from 2 to 4pm, where Catherine will be in attendance to share insights into her storytelling process. The atmosphere will be enlivened by the soulful sounds of Karl Javernig, providing the perfect backdrop to an afternoon of art and conversation.

The exhibition runs Wednesday to Saturday, 10am–3pm, until Saturday 31 May. Don’t miss this engaging showcase of Catherine Kennedy’s vivid and thought-provoking work.

Follow @artsbluemountains on social media for updates, sneak peeks, and artist insights.

PODCAST | Talking ArtZ

All Episodes

Talking ArtZ – In Conversation with Catherine Kennedy

by The Professor on RBM89.1

Talking ArtZ – In Conversation with Catherine Kennedy

Talking ArtZ – In Conversation with Catherine Kennedy

Hosted by Robyn ‘Catchy’ Catchlove and The Professor
Podcast Episode | Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM

In this vibrant and reflective episode of Talking ArtZ, Robyn ‘Catchy’ Catchlove and The Professor sit down with acclaimed Blue Mountains visual artist Catherine Kennedy, whose recent exhibition “Goodness, Is That the Time?” is drawing attention at Arts Blue Mountains, the gallery in Lawson run by Caroline Skinner.

Catherine opens up about her lifelong journey as a painter—from her early days at the National Art School through to her more recent Master of Fine Arts from UNSW Art & Design. Known for her richly layered, metaphorically resonant paintings, Catherine describes her work as a poetic meeting point between the conscious and unconscious mind. Her images—some drawn from real life, others conjured from dreams and memory—form a visual collage that asks viewers to take their time, to sit with the pieces, and to allow meaning to emerge through reflection and dialogue.

As the conversation unfolds, Catherine shares insights into the deeply intuitive process of painting, the surprising interpretations that others bring to her work, and the joy of engaging in artistic conversations that continue beyond the canvas. With humour, warmth, and depth, she also reflects on the role of art in human connection, calling it “a dance with the unknown.”

The exhibition itself, housed in the intimate Lawson gallery space on Honour Avenue, showcases a selection of Catherine’s striking large-scale paintings, alongside the elegant and experimental work of three jewellers: Pam de Groot, Megan Turton, and Christine Mija. Catherine speaks to the collaborative energy of the group show and the delight of sharing space with other creators.

Listeners will also hear about Catherine’s deep roots in the Blue Mountains community—having lived in Katoomba for nearly 30 years—and her ongoing engagement with the region’s rich arts culture. As a bonus, The Professor uncovers Catherine’s musical inspirations, which include Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan—artists who, like her, use imagery and metaphor to evoke emotion and insight.

If you’re intrigued by contemporary painting that rewards contemplation and welcomes conversation, this episode offers a window into the mind of a thoughtful and generous artist—and an open invitation to visit the exhibition before it closes.

“Goodness, Is That the Time?” is showing at Arts Blue Mountains, 9 Honour Avenue, Lawson

Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am–3pm | Final day: May 31

For more information on Catherine Kennedy, visit: https://catherinekennedy.com.au/about