Dani McKenzie

Ultra Romance by Dani McKenzie is a contemporary art exhibition that draws inspiration from the early 20th-century journey of Australian women artists to Paris. Through a collection of vibrant and evocative paintings, McKenzie explores themes of freedom, courage, and the enduring allure of the City of Light. Her work pays homage to the trailblazing spirits of Margaret Preston, Bessie Davidson, and other pioneering women, while reflecting on her own experiences in modern-day Paris.

"Last Christmas, one of my oldest and closest friends gifted me a book titled Intrépide: Australian Women Artists in Early Twentieth-Century France. Written by Clem & Therese Gorman to coincide with a major exhibition at S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney in 2018, it tells the story of 28 Australian women artists who, in the first half of the twentieth century, liberated themselves from the suffocating expectations of conventional life in Australia, and travelled to Paris to experience the city, experiment with their lives, and paint.

When I think about this - the courage of these women, who risked everything in order to do things differently, I can’t help but feel proud to be an Australian woman myself. It is undoubtedly easier for women now to travel and experience a life outside of traditional norms, and to that I say thank goodness. For painters, the allure of Paris is still a strong one - there is a reason Paris is considered one of the most romantic cities in the world.

So, following in the footsteps of Margaret Preston, Bessie Davidson, Ethel Carrick, Dorrit Black, Grace Crowley, Agnes Goodsir, Marie Tuck, Stella Bowen, Margaret Olley and Moya Dyring, Ultra Romance represents my own sojourn to Paris, and my experience of contemporary life in the great city."

—Dani McKenzie