Sharing the National Collection: Olley and Morandi

5 November 2025 - 11 February 2029

Margaret Olley, [Morning interior], c.1973 detail

Margaret Olley, [Morning interior] (detail) c.1973,
National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra
© Margaret Olley Art Trust

Tweed Regional Gallery is the proud custodian of four works from the National Gallery of Australia as part of the Sharing the National Collection initiative. This landmark scheme made possible by the National Cultural Policy Revive, enables the National Gallery to loan works from its collection to regional and suburban galleries across the country.

Currently on display at the Margaret Olley Art Centre, the three works by Margaret Olley are complemented by a still life painting by one of Olley’s favourite artists, Giorgio Morandi (1890–1964). The four works from the National Gallery of Australia’s collection will be on display at the Tweed Regional Gallery until 2029.

One of the works on display is Morning interior c.1973 by iconic Australian artist Margaret Olley (1923–2011). This painting depicts the living room of the artist’s close friend, David Strachan (1919–70). The artists met in the 1940s and shared a life-long dedication to still life painting. Olley often painted at Strachan’s house, which was within walking distance to her own in Paddington, inner-city Sydney.

After Strachan’s untimely death in a car accident in November 1970, Olley spent the following decade using his house as a studio. Olley painted a series of interiors at Strachan’s house, which were exhibited at The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane in 1972 under the title Homage. Olley told her biographer Meg Stewart that: An interior is like painting a portrait… it’s to do with approaching the room as if it was a person whose portrait you’re painting.

Giorgio Morandi, Natura morta [Still life] 1956, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra
© Giorgio Morandi. SIAE/Copyright Agency 2014

These works of art on long-term loan from the National Gallery of Australia are with support from the Australian Government as part of Sharing the National Collection.
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