An exhibition of painting, digital art and sculpture by Russell Austin – Bianca Esteban – Nik Markovina.
Beneath the surface lies a world of symbols, shadows and strange beauty. Subterranean brings together three artists working in pop-surrealism, lowbrow and gothic inspired expression. Their works explore hidden desire, subconscious imagery and the strange poetry found in darkness.
Nudes, dreamscapes and uncanny characters emerge from underground visions – part fantasy, part revelation. This collection invites the viewer to descend below the everyday, where surreal storytelling, gothic mood and playful irreverence intertwine.
Russell Austin 
For over 30 years I’ve been creating – drawing, painting, imagining – searching for new ways of seeing. Curiosity drives me: the shape of a gnarled log, a peculiar rock formation, a twisted figure, music, stories or chance encounters with people. Oil paint is my most trusted medium, allowing my intuition to breathe, and my concepts to come forward. I move between genres to keep myself challenged and entertained-landscape, portrait and figure, pop-surrealism with a subtle dark twist, often influenced by music, other painters or sculptors, or the shifting events in my life. For “SUBTERRANEAN” I’ve gathered works spanning the last 2 decades.
Art is a fickle beast that rears itself on its own terms and makes me a willing conduit. |
Bianca Esteban 
I’ve led a truly wild and crazy life that began with me (age 5) drawing gangsters and shady women wearing couture and stilettos with fishnet stockings and carrying cigarette holders, the artistic style of 80s cartoons
having made a big impact on me. I’ve been a self-taught artist/illustrator/designer for 28 years, working in the advertising world. I loathe phone calls with a passion and while talking, I doodle with pen and paper, which I have discovered is a direct line to my subconscious and all the weird stuff in my brain. I mostly work in 2D digital, recently branching out into creating miniatures. Diagnosed with autism and ADHD, I have always found it difficult to focus and control the chaos in my mind. This is reflected in the many, many styles of artworks I create – from portraiture to psychedelic concept doodling to miniature forests in glass cases… Subterranean is an attempt to present a wonky slice of my mind on a plate for public
consumption. |
Nik Markovina 
Born on the island of Korčula, Croatia in 1959 and raised in Australia, Nik Markovina is a painter, sculptor, and jeweller based in Terrigal, NSW. His practice is driven by gothic imagination and twisted humour. For decades his work has reached audiences locally and internationally, from Sydney’s Paddington Markets to homes and collections in New York, London, Berlin. With over 40 years of creating, Nik continues to shape art that reflects resilience, playfulness, and the dark beauty found in everyday life. |
All ages in Basement Gallery
The Vault 18+ – Contains artistic nudity and sexual themes. Suitable for mature audiences (18+)
If you’re driving, street parking and public parking is available in Baker St car park (enter via Erina St near Gosford hotel and ground floor parking is free)
