Community & Business
15 October, 2026
"Art always comes first" for Chris Kunko
Warren to host exhibition celebrating an artist’s everyday inspiration
For Gilgandra artist Chris Kunko, making art is not simply a career. It is a way of life.
“I paint what I am drawn to,” Kunko says, describing a creative practice shaped by curiosity, observation and the ordinary moments that often pass unnoticed.
Kunko’s latest works ‘Depths Above’, is on exhibition in Warren Museum and Art Gallery during October and November, offering audiences an opportunity to engage with his art and the ideas behind it - drawing from experiences of life and death.
A disciplined artist, Kunko draws daily, maintaining a commitment to his craft that extends well beyond the time spent in front of a canvas.
“I draw everyday,” he says.
The routine is fundamental to his approach, with the act of creating taking precedence over commercial expectations or the pursuit of recognition.
“Art always comes first. It’s my air.” Kunko’s perspective reflects a considered shift in his relationship with his work. Rather than chasing trends or tailoring his output to meet market expectations, he is focused on the satisfaction of making art that holds meaning for him.
“I’ve gone past ego and trying to sell out. For me now it is just about making art I really enjoy everyday moments,” he says.
It is an approach that places personal observation and creative freedom at the centre of his practice, inviting viewers to consider the significance of the everyday through an artist’s eyes. The current works are observations from moments in his life, from coastal beaches as a child until moving to the district over a decade ago.
The artist statement for the exhibition states: “The past two decades Kunko’s practice has been portraiture and landscape, using only pallet knife application within techniques of impasto oil painting.
“This latest body of work Kunko has incorporated a different style of mark making. Some images have been painted solely with brushes but all are seascapes.”
He describes the process as a “new freedom”.
“The use of brushes was suggested to me 20-years-ago by a lecturer while studying art, I guess I’m a slow learner.”
The exhibition provides an opportunity to experience Kunko’s work firsthand and connect with an artist whose commitment to creating remains central to his life.
