Martine Emdur is a long established figure within the Australian contemporary art scene – a multi-award winning artist with a career spanning over 25 years. Emdur has had over 30 solo exhibitions with some of Australia’s most prestigious commercial galleries including Arthouse Gallery, Olsen Gallery, Nanda/Hobbs and Scott Livesey Galleries since her first show at Bondi Pavilion Gallery in 1997.

Emdur’s iconic Bondi paintings have been featured in various publications such as Australian Artist, The Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Financial Review. Emdur’s highly sought after artworks have also been displayed in luxury interior design magazines such as Vogue Living, Harper’s Bazaar and Belle, as being displayed on ABC and Foxtel TV. 

Born and raised amidst the breathtaking Bondi Beach landscapes, Emdur’s artistry is an ode to her surroundings. Birthing a unique perspective of her obsession with the rhythm of waves, Emdur explores the seduction of depths and vastness of the unknown. In this hidden world, where gravity is suspended and the pressures of the outside world are left behind, Martine captures the authentic and vulnerable essence of her subjects.

Emdur’s journey is driven by a constant innate desire to dive deeper, just as her submerged oil nudes do within the tantalising waters of hue and stroke. 

The light ray’s relationship with the fathomless ocean floor and human form becoming one with the body of water is Emdur’s reminder of the intertwined nature of all beings, ‘a unique continuum where the nuances of light, shadow, scale and protean buoyant movement become more palpable with each brush stroke’*. 

Standing before one of Emdur’s larger than life paintings instantly immerses you within hues of lapis lazuli, emerald and cerulean, submerging her intimate floating bodies just below the iridescent surface.

Observing the ocean is a daily ritual that perpetually nurtures Emdur’s practice, and she invites us to share in the splendour of the coastal offerings.