Imagine: you pick up your paintbrush one day, perhaps out of boredom, and make a few small works, each no bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. You have a full-time job so this is just for fun – something to make your creative juices flow. But, then, one of those small studies ends up thrusting you into the spotlight and you somehow end up presenting a huge show at one of Australasia’s most renowned art fairs. How would that feel? Just ask Evi O. 

Born in Indonesia, she relocated to Australia at the age of 17, and has become a designer and self-taught artist. The Sydney resident trained as a visual-communication designer and wanted to work in publishing. She took on a role in the industry at the age of 21 and stayed for almost a decade before branching out on her own as Evi O. Studio, which specialises in print and digital publishing, brand identity and creative collaborations.

That’s where you’ll still find her from day to day but, also, you’ll often catch her behind an easel, churning out paintings in impressive numbers. “I will always love publishing,” says Evi, “but, when you design a book, you’re like a midwife. It’s creative but you are expressing the visions of others. Every creative needs a personal outlet, so I started painting on the weekends, for fun.” 

And then along came gallery curator Amber Creswell Bell to give Evi that one-in-a-million ‘big break’. “She saw one of my tiny studies and said it wasn’t bad. I told her I could make more. ‘Make 12 and I’ll include them in a show,’ she said. So I did.”

This was in 2015. The show was called Geometrica and the results were positive enough to lead to another group exhibition at a then-new gallery, Saint Cloche, directed by Kitty Wong. “The gallery was new, the curator was new, the artists were new. But that show went well as well.” (As did Evi’s relationship with Kitty: they continue to work together today.)

As Evi retells the story, she sounds as though she’s still surprised by these successes. Perhaps that feeling is left over from growing up in Indonesia, where “art and design aren’t day-to-day commodities”, she says. To begin with, the successes were more about gratification than remuneration. “When you’re starting out, you don’t make much money. If you sell work, you use the funds to buy more materials to create more paintings.” 

Even though it was still very much a side gig at this point, Evi had her first solo show in 2016. It was called Double Cream and was hosted by The Design Files gallery in Melbourne. “I was secretly doing it in a different city so that, if it failed, no one would know: a weird, cheeky thought, but I was glad it was another successful show.” It comprised 12 pieces: a world of bright primaries and sumptuous pastels that resemble landscapes? Ice cream sundaes?

“I always paint from personal experience. I’ve painted about places I’ve visited, buildings I’ve seen, scenes passing through life. They’re all very abstract, simple shapes but with a touch of nostalgia, perhaps. Part of the charm of my work is its naming. ‘Once you see the work and read the title, you can’t un-see’; that’s what someone once told me and it’s the best review I’ve had.” 

It wasn’t until – by way of a story too long for these pages – she ended up as the single representative of Saint Cloche’s inaugural inclusion in the 2019 Sydney Contemporary art fair that Evi realised her art practice was “now a real game. Having not ever planned a career as an artist and being a nobody in the art world, I felt like it was a fantasy to have such a big body of work in one room.” (Not so coincidentally, the show was called Fantasia.)

“I made 39 pieces – I don’t think it’s common to produce that many as a first-timer. But we sold 35 of the 39 works and one was collected by the city. I received supportive comments from art critics. That’s when I realised that art, for me, is just about expressing feelings and telling stories.” 

Some of Evi’s early studies can be seen scattered around her apartment in Sydney’s Waterloo: pops of bright colour in a subdued interior by Hecker Guthrie. You’d think her light-filled dwelling might be perfect for painting in but producing her pieces from home for a while proved to be the “worst idea ever”, she says. “For two months, I couldn’t have any visitors.” She now paints from a studio in Marrickville. 

Bridging the worlds of designer and artist is still a work in progress but Evi says she wants to balance life and work better. “I’m in the middle of harmoniously marrying both practices, because they both fulfil and complement what makes me a productive creative and a curious entrepreneur. I don’t really sit still. It’s our third year of business and the team has matured – it’s more independent and we’re more confident.” (Just like Evi herself, wouldn’t you say?)

“Building this team is one part of the business I didn’t realise I’d enjoy so much. It’s the most rewarding thing we’ve made. I guess it’s not surprising that that’s what I paint, too: human connection.” 

Evi’s favourite things

01. Don Draper: My monstera deliciosa plant called Don Draper lives up to his name. He’s sensitive but handsome.

02. Studies: Two early studies from the Cream and Double Cream exhibitions – where it all started.

03. Bed: It’s hard to find a well-made, minimal-looking bed at an affordable price. I can be very particular so I worked with two locals to design one. David Harrison helped me with drawings and Gary Galego crafted and perfected the structure.

04. Ceramic cups: A shelf of ceramic cups – received, bought, made, collected. I don’t buy in pairs. 

05. Henri: My loyal, sooky whippet. He’s been with me for two years now and has done a good job of giving routine to my packed life.

06. Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama: A small memento from Naoshima island in Japan.

07. Stacks of books: Some to read, some I’ve made, some I’ve collected. 

08. Haze by John Lloyd: A little painting that reminds me of the Australian bush, where I find solace. I try to go bushwalking on weekends.

09. Issey Miyake jumpsuit: I collect a bit of fashion from my travels. I used to think how handy it would be to have perhaps three dozen jumpsuits on rotation. 

10. Boob cup: A one-off porcelain piece by one of my special people: ceramicist Milly Dent.