Artist Interview with Australian Painter Pia Kuykhoven

Pia Kuykhoven has been making gardens and art for as long as she can remember. About seven years ago she gave up garden design to paint full time, and she now creates bold, deeply layered paintings of flowers, vases and patterned interiors that grow calmer the longer you look at them. Ahead of Secret Garden, her duo exhibition with Phoebe Turner at The Corner Store Gallery in Orange NSW, we asked Pia about her path to becoming an artist, her process and the painting that gives the show its name. Secret Garden runs from 23 October to 1 November 2026, with an opening night on Friday 23 October at 6pm with wine from See Saw Wines. Online sales launch on Thursday 22 October at 8pm.

Photographs by Elle Dawson Scott.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be an artist?

I have been making gardens and art ever since I can remember, even as a child. Creating is part of my everyday.

Prior to becoming a full time artist around 7 years ago I was a garden designer and landscape constructor, and painted in my spare time, like a hobby. After our youngest child was born I found the stresses of working away from home and coordinating trades a bit too much and turned to my art more and more. It did not feel sustainable and I took a leap of faith and hard work to transition to making art my job. Now I paint for work (and pleasure) and spend time in my garden for relaxation and the rewarding joy of watching plants flourish and go through the seasons. So I guess my work and my hobbies have kind of swapped over the past 6 or 7 and I love it.

How would you describe your work to someone seeing it for the first time, and where do you find inspiration for your work?

My work can be quite intense with my use of bold, deep, bright and highly contrasting colours and textures. But I hope the softness and the beauty of the subjects brings people a quiet nostalgic calming feeling when they look a little closer. I find a lot of inspiration from my garden and home, I love to collect objects like quirky vases, ornate carpets and mismatched antique and contemporary homewares and have a vivid imagination full of places I have visited and gardens from my past that I love.

Can you walk us through your making process, from first idea to finished piece?

My paintings start with almost no thought at all, I begin working on a canvas with large gestural brushstrokes of completely random coloured gessos and textural mediums. I build up layers moving onto washy layers of vibrant paints or whatever takes my fancy or is in reach. After building many layers and working across multiple canvases at this stage I often stare at a jumble of abstract markings until an image or idea reveals itself. At times this is literal like finding an image in a Mr Squiggle scribble and other times it is more contemplative and sitting with a particular bunch of flowers in a vase or walking through the garden and seeing what catches my eye that is in bloom. I then begin to paint with loose open large strokes with very wet watery paint to capture the idea or image quickly and then work over hours days or weeks to reel it in with layering detail and more texture. I know a piece is finished when I look at it and I feel calm and nothing is annoying me.

Is there a piece in this exhibition that feels especially meaningful to you, and why?

I love the large painting and the namesake to the exhibition "Secret Garden". This painting was very helpful for me in working through and making sense of some current world issues and some not so comfortable recent personal experiences. Sometimes I question the validity of making art all day and particularly the act of constantly painting "pretty" things. But during making this work I really realised that my work is more and more about bringing beauty and love into the world , something that i can contribute, albeit it a small contribution to a world and life that can some days feel dark, overwhelming and unfriendly. I hope this wave of flowers from the secret garden of my mind unveils some joy and peace to those who view it.

What's next for you?

Always back to the studio to create. I will be working towards a few art and ceramic fairs for the rest of the year, taking a short family orientated break over the end of year holidays and then returning to see what 2027 brings. One thing is for sure that I will be making art or pottering in my garden at any given moment.

Pia Kuykhoven, Secret Garden, 2026. Acrylic on poly cotton, 123x154cm framed in sustainable oak.

Pia Kuykhoven, The Most Secret Garden, 2026. Hand-built and hand painted glazed stoneware ceramic, handwashing recommended. 25 cm tall x 47 cm wide x 43 cm wide.

Pia Kuykhoven, Very Good Things, 2026. Acrylic on poly cotton, 125x125cm framed in sustainable oak.