This month's Curious Person is Rosie Turner (she/her). We explored the theme of The Darkest Night over on our collaborative Pinterest board taking inspiration from the winter solstice.
About You
Introduce yourself!
I’m an artist and creative facilitator based in Naarm/Melbourne. I hesitate to call myself “multidisciplinary,” though, because it sounds like I come with an Allen key and a ball gag for assembly! I'm drawing, I'm painting, I'm sculpting, I'm styling interiors, I'm making textiles, I'm teaching, I'm consulting, I'm doing it all. Limits? We don't know her. Thematically, my work explores themes of surrealism, mysticism, ornament, human sexuality, and dreaming.
I'm also a drawing teacher and life drawing host. My teaching philosophy centres on the belief that "all drawing is good drawing" - that the act itself is a gateway to unlocking creativity! I love working with people to help them reconnect with their imaginations and artistic instincts. Recently, I've been hosting events at a very gorgeous adult pleasure store and finding wonderful links between our erotic brain and the creative self. Hot stuff.
Did you always know you wanted to do what you do? What was the journey like to get to where you are now?
Intuitively, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. But life has been anything but a straight line — I’ve washed dogs, worked as a legal assistant, stacked files in government buildings, had a stint as a party fairy, worked in major state galleries, and still toy with the idea of applying for ASIO. Through all of it, I’ve kept drawing, thinking, making, dreaming, showing up — carving out space in the world I care about, the one that nourishes me. I did study art, but I don’t think that’s the most important part.
If you love something deeply, you’ll find your way to it — even if it’s via a very scenic route!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Lately, I’ve been nursing a heartbreak — the kind that makes everything feel tender and a little too bright, you know? So I’ve been using my spare time to romance myself. I've been writing my "Love-Letter" newsletter as an outlet - it's where I talk about my little obsessions and the things that inspire my practice. I go on early morning adventures to the beach, rummage through bookstores, see cult films alone and drink red wine while chomping on Jaffas. I take myself on little dates with friends and tell them I love them, often and sincerely.
Heartache is so shitty — it just hurts, all the fucking time. But there’s something quietly powerful about learning how to come home to yourself. I’m trying to turn that into an art form, too.
The Pinterest Board
See the board we collaborated on here.
Tell us what you think of the board theme- why does it inspire or interest you and what’s your connection to the theme?
“The darkest night” speaks directly to the undercurrent of my work — I’m always circling the esoteric and the uncanny. The winter solstice, with its deep quiet and symbolic rebirth, feels like a natural home for the kinds of things that interest me. That space — between night, dream and knowing — is where a lot of my drawings, sculptures, and writing begin. It's less about fear of the dark, and more about reverence for what might be hiding in it.
If you could collaborate with anyone—living or historical—on a project around this theme, who would it be and why?
Ithell Colqhoun, without a doubt. Her work dances between the surreal and the occult, blending mysticism with visual poetry and it makes me absolutely froth. She didn’t just paint; she conjured landscapes of the unconscious and the arcane. I’d want to create something that feels like a portal, or perhaps, a map of the hidden realms. I'd love to go to Cornwall and connect with the psychic power of that landscape.
I'd also like to write poetry with my Dad.
What’s the absolute, non-negotiable piece of content you pinned that people must see?
There is a video of a ceramic work I created a few years ago. It's a reliquary featuring an image of a two headed lamb and gold tipped bones.
Closing Curios
Beverage of choice?
Champagne with my Mum.
Favourite recent find (could be a book, tv show, website, tiktok account)?
My latest book find is On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy by Simon Critchley — it's like philosophy had a fever dream in a Nun's habit.
Where would you visit in a time machine? And Why?
The 1972 Surrealist Ball at the Château de Ferrières, naturally — hosted by Baroness Marie-Hélène Rothschild, where the dress code was “dream logic” and Rene Magritte designed the invitations and Salvador Dali designed some of the costumes. Honestly, who *wouldn't* want to party with those freaks?
Favourite ever thrifted find?
A set of ceramic denture prosthetics lovingly tied to a piece of black card, complete with silver foil lettering. It’s creepy, delicate, and weirdly poetic? I keep it on my desk to remind me that beauty is subjective… and occasionally has teeth.
Last niche interest you dived deeply on?
I've been researching the spirituality of dreaming for my upcoming solo exhibition at Onwards Gallery and Studio in August. It's been interesting reading about the Jungian approach to dream analysis and how we can find avenues to connect with the subconscious. I've also been diving into female surrealists like Leonorna Carrington, Claude Cahun and Remidios Varos. So far, my reading has resulted in fascinating mix of mysticism, psychology, and surrealism. Suggested reading: The Spirituality of Dreaming: Unlocking the Wisdom of Our Sleeping Selves by Kelly Bulkeley.
What ridiculous item is on your wishlist that you want to buy but absolutely do not need?
A Theremin.
Stay in Touch
You can find Rosie on Instagram or see more of her work on her website (her newsletter is excellent).
