Leighton Contemporary

12/08/2026

Delighted to welcome Denise Quah to Leighton Contemporary!

Denise Quah is a landscape abstractionist working in sediment: plaster, acrylic and raw pigment, layered by hand.

Born in Malaysia, Quah is based between Penang and Melbourne. She treats terrain not as a fixed subject but rather as a recurring encounter, drawing on coastlines, tidal flats, alpine fields and desert crossed in the course of a life lived between places.

Quah’s work returns, always, to threshold: the edge where land meets water, where stillness gives way to change, where one life becomes another. Self-taught, Quah builds each surface in layers, working with her materials rather than against them, so the process itself carries the record of arrival and settling. Her current body of work moves from distance to proximity, drawing on an aerial vantage, looking down on the land toward one standing within it.

Quah’s work has been exhibited across Australia and is held in private collections in Australia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, with institutional placements in Malaysia, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Register for a preview catalogue via [email protected] or DM.

09/08/2026

Last night was our very first Noosa Twilight event! I didn’t take many pics - too busy meeting our visitors - but a huge thank you to all of our fab guests, the Noosaville Business Association, Sunshine Coast Music and Events and Gateway to Art Noosa. If we missed you last night, pop in soon - we’d love to welcome you. 🪩Jess X

Noosaville Business Association
Sunshine Coast Music and Events
Gateway To Art Noosa

29/07/2026

ON VIEW: Works by KRISTIAN FLINDT HAWKER

Kristian Flindt Hawker works from an old houseboat on a quiet stretch of the Noosa River, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Using the houseboat rooftop as his studio, his abstract works directly engage with the elements to form abstract landscapes and seascapes.

Hawker’s paintings are inspired by aerial views of rugged Australian terrain. He works with a potent alchemy of acrylic, oil and saltwater. This combination, along with natural forces — sunlight, rain, and wind — interacts with the materials over the course of months. Each work is a slow and poetic collaboration with nature; these elements are not only subjects, but also active participants in his process.

Hawker’s work as a potter and filmmaker further inform his works: “each work is a reflection of place, memory, and the continuous evolution of the place that we all call home.”

View works by Hawker in the gallery, or via our website.

Enquire via [email protected] or DM.

Filmed by Zach Walker Georgia Wolff

29/07/2026

28/07/2026

subject; process The creative journey of Kristian Hawker: Painter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGtwZ9DrVJk - ENQUIRE VIA THE GALLERY [email protected]

Inside the Creative Process: How Artists Bring Their Vision to Life...

12/07/2026

COMING SOON to LC: Works by ADAM HALLS

Adam Halls is a contemporary textile artist whose work pushes the boundaries of the medium through intricate and meticulously crafted surfaces. His practice is grounded in a desire to connect viewers emotionally with the natural world. As he explains, “I want my work to bring people joy and a sense of life, and to be a celebration of the beauty found in nature — bringing a piece of that inside to make us happy when we look at it.” By combining traditional textile techniques with a modern sensibility, Halls challenges conventional perceptions of fabric, elevating it to the status of fine art.

Living and working on his family farm in Bodmin, Cornwall, England, Halls draws continual inspiration from the surrounding landscape. He is particularly captivated by the subtle beauty of lichen on stone, the layered textures of bark, and the fleeting colours of flowers in the garden. These observations inform the organic forms and repeating patterns within his work. This close relationship with nature is not only visual but philosophical, reflecting an ongoing interest in cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.

The starting point for each piece comes directly from lived experience. “My starting point usually comes from observational sketches or from photographs I’ve taken on the farm, from walks and holidays,” he notes. These source materials are translated into cloth through a slow and deliberate studio process: “They always start as a painting on linen back in the studio and are developed over many weeks, sometimes taking up to two months.” This extended period of making allows images rooted in observation to evolve into complex textile compositions.

These works will be on view in Noosaville in September of 2026.

Learn more, or register to receive a preview catalogue via [email protected]

03/07/2026

Emily Ebbs is an artist living and working on Gadigal Land. Her practice delves into the emotional traces of memory through a process-led approach. Ebbs’ work is grounded in material investigation and emotional resonance, often navigating the intangible residues of personal and collective histories.

Ebbs graduated with a Master of Fine Art from the National Art School (New South Wales) in 2022, during which time she received the ‘Tweed Regional Gallery Artist in Residence Award’, the Margaret Olley Art Centre ‘Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Award’ and the ‘Yves Hernot Painting Award’.

“At the core of my practice is the concept of the stain — a mark or discolouration that lingers, difficult to remove. For me, the stain symbolises the lasting impact of past experiences, particularly those that have shaped us emotionally. My abstract paintings are devoid of figurative elements, yet they evoke a sense of nostalgia, contemplation, and introspection. These works are not just visual; they carry an intimate, almost palpable energy that suggests a deeper human presence. Through subtle layers of pigment, texture, and form, I create a fluid, intimate portrait of myself — one drawn from my personal memories, observations, and imagined experiences, spanning from childhood to adulthood. My work invites viewers to engage with the emotional depths of the human experience, offering a space for reflection and connection.” - Emily Ebbs

View works online or in the gallery. Enquire with the gallery team via [email protected] or DM.

Photograph by

16/06/2026

Kristian Hawker works from an old houseboat on a quiet stretch of the Noosa River, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Using the houseboat rooftop as his studio, his abstract works directly engage with the elements to form abstract landscapes and seascapes.

Hawker’s paintings are inspired by aerial views of rugged Australian terrain. He works with a potent alchemy of acrylic, oil and saltwater. This combination, along with natural forces — sunlight, rain, and wind — interacts with the materials over the course of months. Each work is a slow and poetic collaboration with nature; these elements are not only subjects, but also active participants in his process.

Hawker’s past work as a potter and filmmaker further inform his works: “each work is a reflection of place, memory, and the continuous evolution of the place that we all call home.”

View works by Hawker in the gallery, or via our website.

Enquire via [email protected] or DM.

Filmed by

03/06/2026

COMING SOON to LC: Works by ADAM HALLS

Adam Halls is a contemporary textile artist whose work pushes the boundaries of the medium through intricate and meticulously crafted surfaces. His practice is grounded in a desire to connect viewers emotionally with the natural world. As he explains, “I want my work to bring people joy and a sense of life, and to be a celebration of the beauty found in nature — bringing a piece of that inside to make us happy when we look at it.” By combining traditional textile techniques with a modern sensibility, Halls challenges conventional perceptions of fabric, elevating it to the status of fine art.

Living and working on his family farm in Bodmin, Cornwall, England, Halls draws continual inspiration from the surrounding landscape. He is particularly captivated by the subtle beauty of lichen on stone, the layered textures of bark, and the fleeting colours of flowers in the garden. These observations inform the organic forms and repeating patterns within his work. This close relationship with nature is not only visual but philosophical, reflecting an ongoing interest in cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.

The starting point for each piece comes directly from lived experience. “My starting point usually comes from observational sketches or from photographs I’ve taken on the farm, from walks and holidays,” he notes. These source materials are translated into cloth through a slow and deliberate studio process: “They always start as a painting on linen back in the studio and are developed over many weeks, sometimes taking up to two months.” This extended period of making allows images rooted in observation to evolve into complex textile compositions.

Adam’s works will be in Noosaville in September of 2026.

Learn more, or register to receive a preview catalogue via [email protected]