Geoffrey Odgers & Bessie Nunes
Past River of Art Prize Winners
Rejoice brings together two past River of Art Prize winners, Geoffrey Odgers and Bessie Nunes, in a celebration of landscape, nature and the enduring impulse to observe, respond and create.
While distinct in their practice, both artists share a deep connection to the natural world and to the landscapes of the NSW South Coast.
Geoffrey Odgers is an established and widely exhibited artist with an enduring connection to River of Art. Winner of the 2021 River of Art Prize, his painting practice is grounded in an instinctive and expressive response to the landscape and environment in which he lives.. Drawing and expression are at the heart of his practice – marks, gestures, swathes of colour and texture translating the landscape into paintings that are energetic, immediate and deeply felt.
The works presented in Rejoice move through landscapes marked by fire and regeneration to the coastal gums, riverbanks, rocks and tangled vegetation of the Moruya and Tuross landscape. Rather than simply recording what he sees, Odgers finds character and movement within it: twisted trees become sculptural forms, branches dance and familiar places are reimagined through colour, gesture and paint.
Bessie Nunes, winner of both the 2023 River of Art Prize and People’s Choice Award, brings her own close relationship with nature to the exhibition. Her philosophy is simple: to connect with the natural world, tread lightly upon it and use her art to encourage a greater appreciation and conservation of the environment.
Together, these two artists invite us to look again at the landscape around us – at its beauty, resilience, complexity and capacity for renewal.
Rejoice is about finding joy in that act of looking: in colour, form, texture, growth and the extraordinary natural environment we are fortunate to call home.
River of Art warmly thanks the owners of this historic former Bank of NSW building in Moruya , Riverview Commercial Pty Ltd, for generously opening its doors on a newly renovated space and allowing this remarkable space to become a temporary home for art during the 2026 Festival.
