Madeleine Winch’s paintings beautifully render the cyclical, and often subtle, nature of our lives. Drawn from her personal observations of human behaviour and her own deeply felt experiences, Madeleine captures everyday moments in time. Open to interpretation, Madeleine’s silent figures are immersed in their own thoughts and feelings. Whilst Madeleine’s previous exhibition focused on the unifying theme of the home and its significance to humankind, her recent series of works are a contemplation on the many aspects of love. As Madeleine explains, “the sense of belonging and deep human connection, the need for both intimacy and solitude, are all subjects I’m instinctively drawn to explore in my art. In effect, they are studies of the inner life. They are personal in nature but are also, I hope, universal.” Madeleine develops her work slowly, often with several canvases in progress at the same time, using a somewhat predetermined palette which subtly changes as each work grows and evolves. Over the years, Madeleine has also enjoyed exploring the art of drawing and printmaking, with her works on paper developing “more spontaneously” than her paintings. As art historian and critic Sasha Grishin AM stated in a review of a previous exhibition, “she consistently refines her images, perfects her surfaces, at times enlivened with slivers of gold leaf, and creates strong and slightly otherworldly images with a hypnotic power.”
Madeleine Winch studied at the National Art School, Sydney before commencing to paint full-time in a studio on the island of Paros, Greece in the mid-1970s. Since then, she has exhibited in Australia and internationally while undertaking further study and travel. She has been a finalist in a number of major awards including the 2017 Archibald Prize and the 2021 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. Madeleine’s work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria and regional galleries throughout NSW including Wagga Wagga, Orange, New England and Dubbo, as well as Macquarie University and the Kedumba Collection of Contemporary Australian Drawing.
