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Abstract Canvas Artworks,  Australian Art

Large Abstract Wall Art & Canvas Paintings

SOHO galleries present an expansive collection of large abstract canvas art, showcasing the vibrant works of contemporary Australian artists. Our carefully curated selection features large abstract paintings that represent the pinnacle of contemporary artist painting techniques. From abstract pop art canvas pieces to complex mixed-media works, this collection captures the diversity and innovation of modern Australian abstract art.

Highlighting exceptional talents like Conchita Carambano, Zoe Ellenberg, Michael Whitehead & Phil Stallard. these abstract artworks demonstrate extraordinary media manipulation and unique artistic processes. Each large abstract canvas tells a distinct story, offering collectors and art enthusiasts a comprehensive view of contemporary Australian abstract art that pushes creative boundaries and challenges traditional artistic conventions.

Abstract art asks something different of you than a landscape or a portrait does. There's no scene to identify, no likeness to check — just colour, gesture, scale and surface, and whatever those make you feel standing in front of them. That's precisely why it has become the most-collected style in contemporary Australian homes: an abstract painting sets the mood of a room without dictating what the room is about, and it keeps revealing things long after a literal image would have stopped.

What abstract art actually is

Abstract art is work that doesn't set out to depict a recognisable subject. Instead of representing something in the world, it uses colour, line, form, texture and composition as the subject in their own right.

That's the textbook answer, but it undersells how broad the category is in practice. At one end sits work that has abandoned representation entirely — pure colour and mark. At the other sits work that begins with something real (a coastline, a garden, a memory of a place) and abstracts it, stripping away detail until only the feeling of it remains. Most of the paintings in this collection live somewhere along that spectrum rather than at either extreme, which is why abstract work rewards a second look: there's often more of the real world in it than first appears.

Abstract art vs abstract expressionism

These get used interchangeably, and they shouldn't be. Abstract art is the broad category — any non-representational work. Abstract expressionism is a specific mid-twentieth-century movement, associated with large-scale, gestural, emotionally charged painting where the physical act of painting is part of the point. Every abstract expressionist work is abstract art; most abstract art is not abstract expressionism. If a painting's appeal is in visible brushwork, drips, scale and energy, it's leaning expressionist. If it's in flat colour fields, geometry or restraint, it isn't.

Featured abstract painters

Conchita Carambano — a Spanish-born Australian painter who has refined a textured, multi-layered abstraction over more than 40 years. The Australian landscape is a constant source, though rarely a literal one.
Phil Stallard — builds abstracted Sydney waterways from memory, often returning to the Hawkesbury River he explored as a child, layering colour fields with gestural marks borrowed from the city's graffitied walls and construction sites.

Michael Whitehead — large, layered works built on deliberate tension. In his own words, he likes "each brush stroke to challenge the previous one," letting the under-painting break through "to provide a glimpse of a secret world beneath."
Peter Griffen — works from controlled chaos: "to make discoveries risks must be taken, the traveller must get lost. A well planned journey can only lead to an already known destination."

Amanda Ketterer — a Melbourne-based, English-born intuitive painter working at the junction of pattern and botanical form, drawn to the tension between orderly shapes and untamed abstract nature.
Yosi Messiah — bold, exuberant colour and vigorous mark-making, laying down colour in sections to give his work a distinctive sense of depth and movement.

Also represented in this collection: Zoe Ellenberg, Henryk Lobaczewski and Margarita Georgiadis.

Choosing an abstract painting for your space

Scale is the decision most people get wrong. Abstract work is far more forgiving of being too large than too small — a piece that's undersized for its wall reads as an afterthought, while an oversized one reads as deliberate. As a rough guide, a painting should occupy roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of the width of the furniture it hangs above.

Let the palette do the work. The most common approach is to pull one colour already present in the room — a rug, a cushion, timber tones — and let the painting amplify it. The bolder alternative is a deliberate contrast: a single high-chroma work in an otherwise restrained room, which is why large abstracts sit so well in neutral interiors.

Watch the light before you commit. Abstract paintings with heavy texture and visible brushwork change substantially between morning and evening light, and under warm artificial light versus daylight. A heavily impastoed surface facing a window will look like a different painting at 4pm than it did at 10am — usually a feature, occasionally a problem.

Consider the viewing distance. Gestural, heavily worked pieces need room to be read; hang them where people step back — a living area, a stairwell, a foyer. Quieter, flatter compositions hold up better in a hallway or above a bedhead where they're seen close and often.

Sizes in this collection run from intimate studies to 300cm statement works, with prices from around $580 to just over $31,000 — the typical piece sits around $7,000.

SOHO Galleries has been Sydney's home for original Australian art for over 35 years, with delivery and installation available nationwide. If a piece you like is marked SOLD, or you need a particular size, contact us — most of our abstract painters accept commissions.

If you're interested in any abstract artwork, contact us today.

Abstract art FAQ

What is abstract art, in simple terms? Art that doesn't try to depict a recognisable subject. It uses colour, line, form and texture as the subject itself, rather than as a means of picturing something else.

What's the difference between abstract art and abstract expressionism? Abstract art is the whole category of non-representational work. Abstract expressionism is one specific movement within it — large-scale, gestural and emotionally driven, where the act of painting is part of the meaning.

Do you have large abstract wall art? Yes — this collection specialises in large-scale work, sized for living rooms, offices and commercial spaces, up to 300cm. If you need a specific size for a particular wall, contact us and we'll help you find or commission the right piece.

How do I choose the right size abstract painting? Measure the wall and aim for the artwork to fill roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of the width of the furniture beneath it. Err large rather than small — undersized work is the most common mistake.

Is an original abstract painting a good investment? Original works by established, actively exhibiting Australian painters hold value far better than prints or reproductions. Several artists in this collection have four-decade careers and significant award and collection histories.

Is this abstract art for sale online? Every piece in this collection is available for purchase online with Australia-wide delivery, or you can view them in person at our Woollahra, Sydney gallery.