ABOUT DANA DION

Dana Dion is a Sydney-based contemporary abstract painter whose work translates the felt experience of landscape into paint. Working primarily at large scale, she conveys immersion rather than depiction, painting what it feels like to stand within terrain rather than what it looks like.

Having lived between cultures and landscapes for much of her life, Dion carries a deep awareness of movement, transition, and belonging. Landscape, in its neutrality and vastness, offers a space free of borders. In that neutrality she finds both freedom and grounding.

Australia’s expansive terrain has become central to her practice. Travelling to remote areas, she immerses herself in environments that are raw, luminous, and quietly powerful. The scale, light, and physical presence of bush, rock, and sea settle into her before entering the studio.

Her paintings remain in flux. Layers accumulate, are disrupted, partially veiled, and re-emerge. Earlier marks continue to inform what follows; the surface carries its own history. Dense structural passages sit alongside translucent veils. Forms rise and dissolve. Energy builds, shifts, and settles.

Since committing to her practice full-time in 2005, Dion has built an established exhibition record in Australia and internationally. Her work has been recognised through awards and curated exhibitions, acquired into private collections, and commissioned for large scale residential and architectural projects.

“For me painting is meditative. This is how I go into another world. I am awake, I am alert, yet completely absorbed in the act of painting…not thinking of anything else.”

2025
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize 

2024
Finalist – Adelaide Perry Art Prize

2023
Finalist – Lane Cove Art Prize
Finalist – Gosford Art PRize
Korean Culrural Center – Invited artist
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art prize

2022
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize

2020
Finalist – John Lesley Art Prize

2019
Belle Property Acquisitive Art Prize BDAS Bowral/ winner
Lloyd Reece Award – ArtXtra Gallery Lane Cove/ winner
Hunters Hill Regional Art Prize/ winner
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize

2018
Hunters Hill Regional Art Prize/ winner
Finalist – The Kings Art Prize
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize
Lane Cove Art Prize/ 1st prize mixed media

2017
Gosford $15,000 Art Prize/ winner
Art In the Hills Acquisitive $7000 prize/ 1st prize winner
Finalist – Adelaide Perry Art Prize
Royal Arts Show/ 2nd prize, Marine
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize

2016
Royal Arts Show – 2nd prize/ marine
WIngecarribee Art Prize – People’s choice award winner AND Highly Commended
Northbridge Art Prize – Highly Commended/ works on paper
Lane Cove Art Prize – Highly Commended, Contemporary
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – KAAF (Korean) Art Prize
Finalist – Blacktown Art Prize
Finalist – The Hills Art Prize
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize

2015
Finalist – Mosman Art Prize
Gosford Art Prize – Highly Commended
Royal Art Show –  1st prize/ marine,  and The Margaret Fesq Memorial prize for best exhibit
Northbridge Art Prize – Derivan Award of Excellence in Acrylics
Lane Cove Art Prize – Commended
Fairfield art Prize – 1st prize contemporary
Finalist – ANL Mission to Seafarers Victoria
Finalist -Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre/ open section
Finalist – Hornsby Art Prize
Finalist – Muswellbrook Art Prize: open painting and drawing sections
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Blacktown art prize – painting and drawing sections

2014
Lane Cove Art Prize – commended/ contemporary
Flinders Art Show/ Melbourne – Highly Commended
Royal Arts Show – highly Commended/ printing
The Hills Art acquisitive – 2nd prize
Finalist – Blacktown art prize
Finalist – Campbeltown Art Centre Art Award
Finalist – Kogarah Art Prize
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize
Finalist – International Women’s Day Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize

2013
Northbridge Art Prize – 2nd prize/ oil and acrylic section
Canterbury Art Competition Victoria – 3rd prize
Art Oakhill – 2nd prize/ open
Sydney Royal Arts Show – 2nd prize/ seascape
Finalist – Cowra Art Prize
Finalist – Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Waverley Art Prize
Finalist – CPM National Print Award Tweed Valley
Finalist – Brisbane Rotary Art Spectacular
Finalist – International Women’s Day Art Prize

2012
Sydney Royal Arts Show – 1st prize/ printmaking
Sydney Royal Arts Show – Highly Commended/ marine, seascape painting
The 2012 International Art Contest – 2nd prize/ modern art
Lane Cove Art Prize – Highly Commended/ contemporary
Finalist – “She Who Can” Dandenong Victoria
Finalist – Blacktown art prize
Finalist – ANL Maritime art prize exhibition. Melbourne Victoria
Finalist – Hunters Hill art prize

2011
Sydney Royal Arts Show – 2nd prize/ still life
Art Oakhill – winner/ works under $500
Finalist -Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre
Finalist – Blacktown art prize
Finalist – ANL Maritime art prize exhibition, Victoria
Finalist – Outback art Prize
Finalist – Waverley Art Prize
Finalist – Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery NSW
Finalist – Royal Easter Art show
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art exhibition

2010
Waterbrook Art Prize – Very Highly Commended
Fairfield Art Prize – 2nd and 3rd prize/ works on paper
Liverpool Art Prize – Highly Commended/ abstract
Fairfield Arts Alive art prize – 1st prize/ contemporary
Sydney Royal Arts Show – Highly Commended/ Marine/ Seascape painting
Drummoyne Art Prize – Highly Commended/ small works
Kiama art prize – Highly commended/ contemporary
Finalist -Finalist -Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre
Finalist – ANL Maritime art prize and exhibition. Melbourne Victoria
Finalist – Blacktown art prize
Finalist – Waverley art prize
Finalist – Thirroul Art prize
Finalist – Sydney Royal Arts Show
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize

2009
Fairfield Art Prize – 1st prize/ drawing section
Hornsby Art Prize – 1st prize/ oil and acrylic section
North Sydney Art Prize – Highly Commended/ Joan’s Ridge Street Gallery Open Prize
Tumut Art Prize – Commended/ small works section
City of Ryde Art Exhibition – Commended/ modern nontraditional section
Finalist – Hornsby Art Prize.
Finalist – Northbridge Art Prize
Finalist – Blacktown City Art exhibition
Finalist – Muswellbrook Art Prize
Finalist – Thirroul Art Prize
Finalist – Sydney Royal Arts Show
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre
Finalist – David Turnbull Bequest Prize

2008
Lane Cove art prize – 1st prize/ modern section
Fairfield Art Prize – 2nd prize/ modern section
Fairfield Art Prize – Commended/ contemporary section
Drummoyne Art Prize – Commended/drawing section
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize
Finalist – Northbridge Art Gallery Art Prize

2007
Drummoyne Art Prize – 1st prize/ modern section
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize

2006
Northbridge Art Prize – 1st prize/ oil and acrylic section
Finalist – Northbridge Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize