DRAW Space, together with Lynne Eastaway, are delighted to present the work of the late artist Wendy Tabell.
A Wall for my Sister is a curated collection of drawings and collages to honour the artistic legacy of Wendy Tabell (1942–2023).
Wendy, an artist and educator, pursued her practice with quiet dedication, seeking no acclaim. Despite being largely overlooked by the mainstream Sydney art scene, she remained devoted to her ‘living practice’ – a private and vocational pursuit where abstraction served as a key mode of expression. Wendy was also highly regarded as a visual arts teacher at several TAFE colleges and City Art Institute (now known as UNSW School of Art & Design).
This exhibition is a heartfelt dedication to Wendy by her sister, Lynne Eastaway, a respected Sydney artist who served as Head of Drawing at the National Art School. Lynne's own works are held in esteemed collections, including those of NAS Darlinghurst, Curtin University, Wollongong University, Artbank, and the National Gallery of Victoria.
Join Lynne for afternoon tea in the gallery on Sunday 2 June from 1pm at DRAW Space, 31A Enmore Road, Newtown Gadigal.
Click to download a copy of the room sheet as a pdf.
A Wall for my Sister
Exhibition essay by Chelsea Lehmann
A Wall for my Sister is a curated collection of drawings and collages to honour the artistic legacy of Wendy Tabell (1942–2023). Wendy, an artist and educator, pursued her practice with quiet dedication, seeking no acclaim. Despite being largely overlooked by the mainstream Sydney art scene, she remained devoted to her ‘living practice’ – a private and vocational pursuit where abstraction served as a key mode of expression. Wendy was also highly regarded as a visual arts teacher at several TAFE colleges and City Art Institute (now known as UNSW School of Art & Design).
This exhibition is a heartfelt dedication to Wendy by her sister, Lynne Eastaway, a respected Sydney artist who served as Head of Drawing at the National Art School. Lynne's own works are held in esteemed collections, including those of NAS Darlinghurst, Curtin University, Wollongong University, Artbank, and the National Gallery of Victoria.
Lynne describes Wendy as a complex individual, embodying contradictions like strength and defensiveness, privacy and generosity, and superiority and vulnerability. Her relationships with others were sometimes challenging, with students and colleagues describing her as a firebrand, stern, critical, and with Lynne, even antagonistic. Her connection with the Sydney art world of that time was also vexed, and while Wendy supported Lynne’s growing career, she herself remained on the periphery, choosing not to exhibit her work or actively pursue critique. Wendy found her own way within the seclusion of her studio where she investigated the intimacy and fundamentals of abstraction, detached from prevailing ideologies and the acclaim of white male artists, despite likely being influenced by some, like British-born artist John Walker, known for his painterly abstractions featuring flat collaged spaces and pictograph-like symbols.
Wendy was a highly esteemed teacher. Rose Tripodi, a former student turned colleague, recalls visiting Wendy's studio: I was impressed by both the beauty of her work and her prolific output. Walking into her painting studio, I saw large works on the wall. She explained her dedication to compositions of only two shapes, discussing the challenges it posed. Wendy generously allowed students to explore her numerous plastic containers filled with small works, drawings, and collages, showing her dedication and natural facility. As my first painting teacher at St George TAFE evening classes, Wendy was dedicated but did not suffer fools. She gave all to those that took her classes seriously and encouraged those she felt deserving. In professional practice, she shared a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Wendy was instrumental in my love and understanding of art.
Wendy, though ‘a bit of a loner’, clearly had a rich interior life and was also dedicated to her family's well-being. She sacrificed her studio to provide living space for her daughter and granddaughter and made sure everyone was provided for. In her last year, she spent more time with close friends and family, taking long walks with Lynne and deepening their relationship. Lynne refers to this period as a softening, noting the strong connection between the sisters, which was easier to appreciate in Wendy’s final days.
Reviewing some of Wendy’s extensive body of work with Lynne, I was struck by the consistency of her curiosity and attention, a lively mind at work, hungry to discover and to know. Her collages and journal drawings remind me of how drawing inaugurates something, it’s the debut of an idea in the world. For Wendy, this was enough, she didn’t seek an audience for her work or a witness to her thinking. However, in the exhibition A Wall for my Sister, Lynne Eastaway has presented some of Wendy’s artworks, offering us a view into the vibrant inner world of a very private person.
Click to download a pdf copy of the exhibition essay.
Photo: Wendy Tabell captured in a candid moment by her friend Bruce Shillingford a few weeks before her passing.