Welcome

Jo Dyer is an artist born in Port Fairy, VIC who grew up in Newcastle on the NSW coast, and is now based in Melbourne.

About

As a child, Jo spent a lot of time in the garden, observing plants and insects. She cites these formative years as a major influence on the type of work she creates, her inspiration largely drawn from the intricate, textural and often transient details found in the natural world.

Jo’s affiliation with plants took on new significance after the death of her father in 2015. At this time she felt an overwhelming desire to connect more consciously to the natural world so she started gardening and creating artwork within her garden as a response to this. 

Her current artwork is inspired by her recent move from Newcastle to Melbourne, where  she is particularly drawn to the many gum trees in her new neighbourhood. For Jo, engaging with these trees and creating work in response to them is a process symbolic of cultivating and honouring her connection to her father, who grew up in Melbourne and loved the Australian bush.

The value of art making and gardening as both therapeutic and affirmative processes continues to inspire Jo’s work. She believes both can be used to express hope, cultivate resilience and facilitate connectedness between individuals, communities and the natural world.