Fair Director’s Picks: Brisbane 2025

After a successful debut, Affordable Art Fair returns to Brisbane with 50 galleries and more art than ever before to snap up. Whether you’re a first time buyer or building a collection, expect to discover 1,000s of sensational artworks, and get involved with an invigorating program packed with interactive experiences. Expect high-quality artworks, fresh talent, and the kind of pieces that stop you in your tracks.

Fair Director Stephanie Kelly Gordine knows that moment well. Before she became our Asia Pacific Managing Director and Fair Director for Australia, she actually bought her first ever fine artwork at an Affordable Art Fair in London! 

Stephanie is a creative leader, culture vulture, and number nerd with 20 years experience in building brands. She began her career in healthcare marketing in New Zealand and the UK before moving to Asia to make a change into the world of arts and events.

So, what’s caught her eye at Affordable Art Fair Brisbane? Keep reading to discover her top artwork tips ahead of your fair visit!

JOANNE SISSON (SALT CONTEMPORARY) 

Joanne Sisson’s work is a study in tension between the wild and the intentional. Her floral cuttings are quietly persistent rising and curling above a chorus of glass vessels. A collection of fine crystal and humble jars echo the lived-in elegance of things inherited, gifted, and acquired over time. There is memory here. Joanne’s artworks balance cleverly between containment and abandon, domesticity and wilderness, clarity and instinct. And crucially, Sisson allows for space. Space to breathe, space to pause, and space to look again. 

SALLY STOKES (GALLERY ALCHEMY) 

Sally Stokes brings what most overlook into focus, those fleeting moments of warmth and quiet joy that live within the natural world. A Sydney-based abstract landscape artist, she works instinctively, often painting outdoors, translating the response to her surroundings through gestural, painterly strokes. Stokes has been a finalist in the Sulman Prize and the Salon des Refusés, with works held in private collections across Australia and internationally, as well as in public institutions including the Newcastle Art Gallery.  

PHIL STALLARD (WENTWORTH) 

Philip knows how to hold tension. Bright, playful colour. Loose, gestural marks. And beneath it, structure. Discipline. You feel the landscape, but it never becomes literal. There’s restraint, even in its freedom. It’s bold, but not loud. Expressive, but never careless.  

WENDY MA (DISCOVER: YOUNG TALENT)

Wendy Ma maps memory onto ceramic the way others might keep photo albums, except hers are hand-painted in cobalt and rooted in Hong Kong. The scenes are personal: family calls, street views, fragments of Cantonese life. But they’re also familiar to anyone who’s lived far from home and tried, however imperfectly, to hold on. Spending years in Hong Kong, I have a love for that mix of grit and grace, tradition and change. Wendy captures it within her artwork with clarity and care in a way that feels deeply personal.

MARK FORBES (ARTCO) 

In artwork Conversations, Mark Forbes invites us into a quiet dialogue. A conversation is held not between people, but rather between space, memory, and the viewer. Known for his contemplative documentary photography, Forbes captures the subtle beauty of everyday environments, often highlighting the interplay between people and their surroundings. Shot on medium format film, the photograph reveals an ordinary scene imbued with a sense of nostalgia and longing. Forbes’ has been a finalist in numerous prestigious art prizes, including the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art and the Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize. Forbes’ debut monograph Collected memories was published by the German publisher Hatje Cantz in 2023. Shortly after printing, a book signing event was held at Paris Photo 2023. The book was a shortlisted finalist at PHOTO 2024 for the Australian & New Zealand Photobook of the Year. 

Chloe Watego, Grandma’s Garden, Acrylic on Canvas, 1200×600 mm, $2200

CHLOE WATEGO (SPOTLIGHT ON FIRST NATIONS ART)

Chloe Watego is a Iman & South Sea Islander woman residing on Gubbi Gubbi Country with a passion for sharing and celebrating her culture through art. As a self-taught artist, Chloe uses painting for creative expression and to aid in healing as she continues to explore her family’s roots. Born and raised on Yugambeh land, Chloe is of South Sea Islander descent and through her grandmother has ties to Torres Strait Island and the Bundjalung nation. Her grandfather was forcibly removed from family due the Stolen Generations, causing a hurtful disconnection to heritage and culture for him and the following generations of his family. It was while on this journey to identify her grandfather’s country, tribe, and language that Chloe first started painting. 

Chloe’s artwork “Grandma’s Garden” was inspired by memories of exploring and playing in the yards of both her grandmothers. As a mother, I felt connected to this piece. It beautifully captures the bond between women across generations.

ZOE WILLEY (STEVENS STREET GALLERY)

When we first featured Zoe Willey as a Young Talent artist in Brisbane 2024, we knew she had something special. Now returning to the fair with representation by the much-loved Stevens Street Gallery, Zoe presents quietly endearing still life artworks at an affordable price point, perfect for those beginning their art journey.

JESSICA DAVIDSON (ASPIRE GALLERY)

There’s something quietly powerful about Jessica Davidson’s Pink Sky—a single tree emerging from a softly blurred horizon, suspended in a delicate moment of stillness.

I find myself instantly transported to the landscapes of my time in Aotearoa. There, the fog would roll in the early morning, cloaking the land in a gentle hush.

JOE BLUNDELL (GREENBRIDGE GALLERY)

Joe Blundell’s work drew me in immediately. There is a depth to his understanding of the natural world that goes far beyond the visual. It’s no surprise, considering his background in plant biology, that his landscapes feel so intimately observed. Since debuting with us at Affordable Art Fair in 2019, Joe’s paintings have found homes across Australia, and we’re proud to have played a part in his creative journey.

I hope that my selection of favourite works has inspired you to join us at Affordable Art Fair Brisbane from 8 – 11 May at the well-loved Brisbane Showgrounds Exhibition Building. Follow the link below to snap up a ticket or visit the Brisbane fair page for more information.