About Diana Neggo
I am a contemporary Western Australian artist based in the beautiful Ferguson Valley, where I create expressive abstract and semi-abstract paintings inspired by landscape, seascape and the emotional resonance of place.
Painting has long been a way for me to process experience, express emotion and connect more deeply with the world around me. I am deeply drawn to abstraction for its ability to suggest rather than define, allowing space for ambiguity, feeling and personal interpretation. I want my work to evoke emotion as much as image.
The Australian landscape continues to be an enduring source of inspiration. Living and working in the Ferguson Valley, I am constantly moved by the shifting light, rolling hills, mist-filled mornings and proximity to the coast. Rather than simply recording a scene, I seek to capture its essence — the atmosphere, memory and felt experience of being there.
I was born in Perth and studied art in Victoria before returning to Western Australia. Travel has also profoundly shaped my artistic practice. Time spent living in Japan introduced me to the discipline and sensitivity of traditional Sumie ink painting, deepening my appreciation for simplicity, gesture and mark-making. Extended sailing adventures around Australia and Southeast Asia immersed me in the vastness and power of sea and sky, while painting workshops in Portugal and sketching journeys through India further expanded my visual language and creative confidence.
I work primarily in acrylic and mixed media on canvas and board, often building layered surfaces through intuitive mark-making and experimentation. My palette frequently returns to earthy ochres, rich reds and warm oranges — colours that feel deeply connected to the Australian landscape.
Whether I am painting en plein air, developing studio abstractions or filling sketchbooks with studies and ideas, I see painting as an ongoing conversation between observation, memory and intuition. Each work begins with curiosity and unfolds through layering, responding and editing, allowing the painting to reveal itself over time.
In recent years I have been fortunate to receive recognition through exhibitions and art prizes, including winning the inaugural Ria Bignell Art Prize and the Portrait Prize at the Dardanup Art Spectacular. I also curated the 2024 Dardanup Art Spectacular and participated in Open Studios in both 2023 and 2024.
Through my work, I hope to create paintings that invite pause, reflection and connection — works that resonate emotionally and linger long after the first encounter.