In The Studio with painter, ceramicist and sculptor, Liam Murphy

From Port Fairy to being stocked in Fenton & Fenton, Liam Murphy's vibrant works are made to bring life into your home!

Liam Murphy is an artist whose works have been championed by interior experts across the state. Working with acrylic on canvas, focussing on pattern, repetition and colour to build large scale kaleidoscopic pieces, Murphy makes a case for integrating bright and bold in statement piece into the home.

In our series In The Studio, Murphy takes us into his art-making practice from inception into building a recognised brand.

Keep up to date with all things arts, exhibitions and stage here.

 

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In The Studio with Liam Murphy

How long have you been developing your arts practice?

Since I was a toddler. But exploring pattern, repetition and colour for about 10 years now.

How did you discover your passion for this practice?

Many years ago my sister was opening a graphic design studio. She wanted some paintings to tie-in with some photographs of Japan she was displaying. They were photographs of everyday life, traffic, the subway etc. I was really stuck and had no idea what the hell I was going to do with them – I can’t paint figuratively! But then I found some tiny elements of pattern within those photographs and used those as the basis for my response. Once I finished those paintings I just kept going. They were the catalyst for this passion.

What have been the biggest milestones in your arts career to date?

Quitting a full time job to become a full-time artist was pretty cool!  

What is your favourite artwork or series that you have created and why?

I have one painting that I worked on, didn’t like it so reworked it a few times. It was hanging around in the house and the studio for months. I’d turn it around and forget about it, hang it up, look at it for a few weeks, have another go at it and so on. This went on for ages until one day it fell off the mantlepiece and got a tear in the canvas. 

I hate waste and didn’t want to throw it out so I found a needle and thread and sewed up the tear as best I could. Then I painted over the tear, did a bit more of a touch-up and it was perfect!  But I couldn’t sell it so it’s been on my wall ever since and I love it. I think it was meant to be mine from the beginning.

 

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What has been the biggest challenge you face as an artist and how are you pushing through that barrier (if you can!)?

I find it really difficult to get the time to kick back and explore/make a mess/search for inspiration. That whole process doesn’t lend itself to having three kids, doing the sports run, cooking dinner, going to the gym, walking the dog, mowing the lawn, moving house etc!  

I think maybe I need to timetable in some time in the studio where actually I don’t have anything I want to achieve; just explore, but it’s hard to walk out of there without having something I can hold and say this is pretty, I like this. Especially when studio time is so rare for me these days; finishing up the day and not having anything to ‘show for it’ can feel like I’ve wasted my time.

Where has your work been, or is your work currently, displayed?

I used to host my own exhibitions and display and sell that way, very DIY!  I got picked up by Fenton and Fenton in Prahran many years ago and have had a great relationship exhibiting and selling with them. 

 

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Tell us about your studio space!

Hahaha! I went from working on the kitchen table, to having a beautiful studio in the backyard and now back to the kitchen table. We’ve just moved house and I don’t have a studio anymore- it will be a work in progress. In the meantime I think I will have to cordon off a section of the garage, but that’s ok. It’s a nice garage!

What does a typical day of creating art look like for you both in the studio and out of the studio?

Depending on the day I’m up at 5.30ish for the gym/walk the dog. Then coffee, school lunches, clean the mess up, washing on, then hopefully in the studio about 9 until school pickup. Ideally I would work tirelessly all day but that’s rarely the case!

Usually getting distracted by the lawns or a dripping tap or the news or a podcast will get me down a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

After school pickup there’s not much time for any further work, if I have an exhibition coming up I might head back in after dinner for a few hours. I also spend time framing, packing paintings, emailing, posting to social media (ergh), updating the website etc etc.

 

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How has being based in regional Victoria elevated your arts practice? What kind of support have you received?

The Port Fairy (and Warrnambool) community has been amazing. Every time I put an exhibition on, they have supported me, I love them. I can’t imagine doing this in the big smoke. I feel like I need that social connection to be successful. If I was anonymous in a big city working away I would feel very lost.

What does the rest of 2025 look like for you as a creator?

Not much of 2025 left! No exhibitions for me, I’m working on some tiny paintings that I will try and get onto my website by the end of the year but it is very hectic at the moment trying to put our new house into order!

Where can we find you? 

www.liammurphy.com.au 

@_liam_murphy_

Dive into more In The Studio profiles, and arts features here.