Affordable Art Fair Melbourne returns from 27-30 August, bringing together thousands of original artworks and some of the most exciting emerging talent in the country.

Through our annual Discover: Young Talent program, we champion unrepresented artists under 35, offering visitors the chance to collect from tomorrow’s rising stars before everyone else.

This year, we’re proud to introduce eight exceptional rising artists: Anna Walsh, Anna Xiang, Ashton Wastney, Ariella Weinmann, Carley Olifiers, Georgia Robinson, Millie Hopton and Rufus Punton.

Meet the artists, dive into their creative practices, and enjoy a first look at the incredible work they’ll be bringing to the fair.

Ashton Wastney

Ashton is a New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based painter who creates expressive oil paintings exploring the human figure, emotion and imagination. His works often feature recognisable figures with distorted faces and unusual forms, creating a feeling that is both familiar and dreamlike.

Through bold marks, shapes and colours, Ashton captures the complexity of human experience and invites us to look beyond a traditional portrait.

Millie Hopton

Originally from Adelaide and now based in Melbourne, Millie’s paintings explore the beauty and emotion found in everyday moments, using painting to capture intimate details, textures and experiences that are often overlooked.

Inspired by her surroundings, personal experiences and connections with others, Millie creates richly layered works that explore themes of femininity, memory, grief and human relationships. Through experimentation with scale, colour and technique, her paintings invite viewers to slow down, reflect and connect with the emotions held within each scene.

Anna Xiang

Anna’s paintings are otherworldly, drawing viewers into dreamlike worlds filled with distortion, colour and emotion. A Chinese-born artist, now based in Melbourne, Anna explores the spaces between memory, identity and perception through layered oil paintings that blend figurative forms with abstract lines.

Influenced by Eastern and Western cultures, her work invites viewers to get curious about the world we live in.

Rufus Punton

Rufus is an exciting, emerging Melbourne-based artist whose work explores the emotional landscapes of rural Australia. Through blurred imagery, layered surfaces and atmospheric compositions, Rufus transforms familiar scenes into evocative paintings that sit between memory and place.

Drawing on ideas of history, resilience and generational change, his works capture the quiet traces of experiences that remain embedded within communities and landscapes. Don’t miss out on catching a glimpse of his work up close.

Ariella Weinmann

Ariella is a Melbourne-based artist whose oil paintings celebrate the quiet beauty found in everyday objects. Working primarily in still life, her carefully composed arrangements transform familiar moments into thoughtful studies of light, texture and form, inviting viewers to slow down and appreciate the understated details of daily life.

Alongside her painting practice, Ariella works as a graphic designer. This contrast against the precision and discipline of design and the softness and imperfection of her still life paintings creates a distinctive visual balance within her practice. Ariella’s timeless appeal and refined attention to detail within her pieces make them highly collectable.

Georgia Robinson

Similarly, Georgia’s work captures the beauty and emotion of the natural world, drawing inspiration from her home environment in West Gippsland. Through her expressive paintings of flora and landscape, she transforms delicate moments in nature into captivating artworks that feel both intimate and timeless.

With a unique connection to place and a thoughtful approach to botanical imagery, Georgia’s works offer a fresh perspective on the landscapes that surround us.

Anna Walsh

Anna is an emerging Australian artist working from her home studio on Yorta Yorta Country in Moama, NSW. Inspired by her local landscape and the unique beauty of Australian flora, Anna creates richly detailed paintings that celebrate the natural world through intricate patterns, texture and hand-rendered forms.

Blending traditional techniques with a contemporary aesthetic, her artworks are defined by warm, earthy tones and a deep connection to place. Drawing on her background in textile design, Anna’s paintings offer a fresh perspective on the Australian landscape – making them perfect additions for collectors and nature lovers looking to bring a sense of warmth and connection into their homes.

Carley Olifiers

Carley is a painter from Geelong whose acrylic works explore the connection between memory, place and imagination. Drawing inspiration from the people, landscapes and moments that have shaped her life, Carley creates atmospheric paintings that capture the feeling of a memory rather than simply a scene.

Through hazy surfaces, soft forms, her explores how memories shift and evolve over time. Influenced by her coastal Victorian surroundings, Carley’s paintings evoke a sense of nostalgia, belonging and quiet reflection – inviting viewers to connect with their own personal experiences.

This year’s Discover: Young Talent artists offer a glimpse into the future of contemporary art. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet the artists and explore their work – join us from 27-30 August at the Royal Exhibition Building.

Are you an artist aged 35 or under? We’d love to hear from you. To learn more about exhibiting through Discover: Young Talent at future fairs, please email [email protected].