Bryella Garmanjan Farrell

Born in Darwin in 1998, Bryella Garmanjan Farrell is an Alawa woman whose family comes from Minyerri in the Northern Territory. She spent her childhood on Groote Eylandt, around 630 kilometres east of Darwin off the coast of Arnhem Land, where she developed a deep connection to the island's coastline, tides and natural rhythms. Memories of camping, hunting, fishing, swimming and watching spectacular sunsets continue to inform her artistic practice and remain central to her work today.

Bryella grew up surrounded by the trailblazing women of the Bulgul Collective, including her mother, artist Stephanie Blitner, alongside Camelia Blitner and Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty. While Camelia and Helen have played an important role in nurturing her artistic development and refining her abstract visual language, Bryella credits her mother as her greatest inspiration. Watching Stephanie paint from an early age sparked a lifelong passion for art and shaped the foundations of her creative practice.

Bryella first picked up a paintbrush at just ten years old, creating a painting of a mermaid for her mother. What began as a simple childhood gift marked the beginning of an artistic journey that has continued to flourish.

Working primarily in acrylic on linen, Bryella's process is intuitive, allowing each work to evolve organically as she paints. Through remarkably fine mark-making and carefully considered colour, she creates richly textured compositions that evoke movement, atmosphere and memory. Jewel-like blues and turquoise hues reflect the surrounding ocean, while warm ochres and earthy tones capture the rugged landscape and enduring spirit of Country.

Her paintings are deeply personal, drawing on lived experiences and a profound connection to place. As Bryella explains, "When I paint, I feel at peace. It feels as if I could go to the place I'm painting and explore the different colours and textures." Painting has become a way of expressing her inner thoughts and emotions while honouring the stories, knowledge and cultural connections passed down through her family.

Today, Bryella paints alongside her family as part of the Bulgul Collective, an intergenerational community of artists represented by Kate Owen Gallery. Working within this supportive environment allows the artists to share stories, knowledge and encouragement while continuing to strengthen one another's practices. Away from the studio, Bryella enjoys spending time with her partner and two sons, whose love and support continue to inspire her creative journey.

Bryella's distinctive visual language has quickly attracted national recognition. In 2025, she was selected as a finalist in the Calleen Art Award. The following year she was named a finalist in the Emerging Artist category of the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize and was also a finalist in the Ravenswood Australian Women's Art Prize, where she received the Highly Commended Indigenous Emerging Artist Award. These achievements reflect the strength of Bryella's emerging practice and mark her as one of the exciting new voices in contemporary Australian Aboriginal art.


Copyright Kate Owen Gallery, March 2024. Updated July 2026