Birdie | Nate Teen

At just twenty, Nate Teen is at the beginning of what feels like a lifelong practice.

Born in Subiaco, Western Australia, and raised across New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and the United States, her perspective has been shaped by constant movement.

Different landscapes, different rhythms of life, and a growing awareness of place that now finds its way into her work. An instinct for creativity that has followed her wherever she’s landed, now beginning to take more deliberate form.

Her donated piece is deeply personal, created in memory of his grandmother, Lois Kargotich, known to her as Birdie, who passed away in early 2025 at the age of ninety two. Her presence sits quietly within the work, not as something overstated, but as a guiding force. A reminder of family, of heritage, and of the kind of connection that continues beyond loss.

Nate’s work is shaped by the natural world. Rural and coastal landscapes, mountains, open space. This piece speaks to new beginnings, to closure, and to the act of honouring what has come before. It carries a warmth that feels familiar. Grounded in the idea that art can hold memory, and that memory, when shared, can offer something back to the viewer.

So get that subscription sorted!