“For me painting is meditative. This is how I go into another world. I am awake, I am alert, yet completely absorbed in the act of painting…not thinking of anything else.”



Dana Dion’s paintings reflect an intense exploration of the world and her subsequent quest for inner expression of that experience. The bold physicality of her painterly surfaces is balanced with a sense of tender vulnerability and an obvious love for the process of painting.
Luscious and evocative, the works explore the vast reaches of a rich inner landscape through a language that she has developed over the years.

I aim to locate a place where I belong. To connect, care, and have a place that is mine.   She continues to discover that locus within herself.

Dion’s peripatetic life has introduced her to many landscapes. Born in Tel Aviv, she traveled back and forth between East Africa and Israel during her childhood years until 1974 when her family moved to Vancouver, Canada. This is where she found an early voice for her work by painting large-scale murals on the walls of her school.

She returned to Israel at 18, and traveled to London to represent Israel in Miss World 1979. After the competition, she spent a year living and working in Los Angeles. She returned to Vancouver in 1980 where she ran highly successful fitness businesses for 12 years and initiated the first Canadian Ironman Triathlon race in Penticton Canada. In 1995, she, her husband, and three children moved to London. During that time, she studied painting, eager to learn techniques and embrace her natural inclination for visual expression.

In 2000, Dion and her family settled in Sydney, and she found herself at home in the sensibility of Australia’s varied landscape. Since 2005, she has dedicated herself full-time to painting, applying the discipline of a lifetime. She notes in her artist’s statement:

Art for me is the excitement of creation in a relatively unstructured way. Painting and drawing frees me to express, think, push boundaries, learn, explore… I can let go and there is no need to conform. It is my creation… not what is expected of me from others.

Her abstracted landscapes are influenced by her lifetime connections to the geographies of Israel and Australia.

I love the Australian bush, sea, vegetation, sounds and smells.

She and her husband often camp in various spots for periods of time there. While out in the landscape, she photographs and sketches.

But Dion is a studio painter, and she spends most of her time painting from memory and feeling. In the privacy of her studio, she creates a dialogue between herself and work that is ongoing, active, and always fresh.


I take experiences out in nature back to my studio and paint large. I use a lot of paint. I make a mess. I am very physical when I work, moving energetically. I allow the movement to initiate rhythms. I capture the energy by painting quickly. Intuition and boldness drive the work. Accidents along the way make for spontaneity and improvisation.
In this dialogue between the planned and the unplanned, Dion finds a balance. Her works are often tethered by an underlying grid and horizontal structure referencing landscape. A lexicon of shapes and her distinct language reoccur, regardless of the environment from which she draws her inspiration.

The landscapes do not depict a specific place, but rather a recording of the many places I have lived without borders or boundaries.


I create works that excite me. I can’t do authentic work if I am also thinking about the audience, because the work is too self-conscious. I can dream and feel while I am alone, allowing my emotions to surface without directing or controlling them.
Dion’s worldview is one of connection, not separation. When looking at her life and work, the traces of longing for a deeper connection are evident. For her, this link to a sense of place that cannot ever be uprooted is essential. Intimate and beyond words, these paintings echo not only a sense of place, but a sense of peace.

-Katherine Duncan Aimone






Awards and selected exhibitions


2024
Finalist - Adelaide Perry Art Prize

2023
Finalist - Lane Cove Art Prize
Finalist - Gosford Art PRize
Korean Culrural Center - Invited artist
Finalist - Hunters Hill Art prize

2022
Finalist - Gosford Art Prize

2020
Finalist - John Lesley Art Prize

2019

Belle Property Acquisitive Art Prize BDAS Bowral/ winner
Lloyd Reece Award – ArtXtra Gallery Lane Cove/ winner
Hunters Hill Regional Art Prize/ winner
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize

2018
Hunters Hill Regional Art Prize/ winner
Finalist – The Kings Art Prize
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize
Lane Cove Art Prize/ 1st prize mixed media

2017
Gosford $15,000 Art Prize/ winner
Art In the Hills Acquisitive $7000 prize/ 1st prize winner
Finalist – Adelaide Perry Art Prize
Royal Arts Show/ 2nd prize, Marine
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize

2016
Royal Arts Show – 2nd prize/ marine
WIngecarribee Art Prize – People’s choice award winner AND Highly Commended
Northbridge Art Prize – Highly Commended/ works on paper
Lane Cove Art Prize – Highly Commended, Contemporary
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – KAAF (Korean) Art Prize
Finalist – Blacktown Art Prize
Finalist – The Hills Art Prize
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize

2015
Finalist – Mosman Art Prize
Gosford Art Prize – Highly Commended
Royal Art Show –  1st prize/ marine,  and The Margaret Fesq Memorial prize for best exhibit
Northbridge Art Prize – Derivan Award of Excellence in Acrylics
Lane Cove Art Prize – Commended
Fairfield art Prize – 1st prize contemporary
Finalist – ANL Mission to Seafarers Victoria
Finalist -Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre/ open section
Finalist – Hornsby Art Prize
Finalist – Muswellbrook Art Prize: open painting and drawing sections
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Blacktown art prize – painting and drawing sections

2014
Lane Cove Art Prize – commended/ contemporary
Flinders Art Show/ Melbourne – Highly Commended
Royal Arts Show – highly Commended/ printing
The Hills Art acquisitive – 2nd prize
Finalist – Blacktown art prize
Finalist – Campbeltown Art Centre Art Award
Finalist – Kogarah Art Prize
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize
Finalist – International Women’s Day Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize

2013
Northbridge Art Prize – 2nd prize/ oil and acrylic section
Canterbury Art Competition Victoria – 3rd prize
Art Oakhill – 2nd prize/ open
Sydney Royal Arts Show – 2nd prize/ seascape
Finalist – Cowra Art Prize
Finalist – Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre
Finalist – Gosford Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Waverley Art Prize
Finalist – CPM National Print Award Tweed Valley
Finalist – Brisbane Rotary Art Spectacular
Finalist – International Women’s Day Art Prize

2012
Sydney Royal Arts Show – 1st prize/ printmaking
Sydney Royal Arts Show – Highly Commended/ marine, seascape painting
The 2012 International Art Contest – 2nd prize/ modern art
Lane Cove Art Prize – Highly Commended/ contemporary
Finalist – “She Who Can” Dandenong Victoria
Finalist – Blacktown art prize
Finalist – ANL Maritime art prize exhibition. Melbourne Victoria
Finalist – Hunters Hill art prize

2011
Sydney Royal Arts Show – 2nd prize/ still life
Art Oakhill – winner/ works under $500
Finalist -Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre
Finalist – Blacktown art prize
Finalist – ANL Maritime art prize exhibition, Victoria
Finalist – Outback art Prize
Finalist – Waverley Art Prize
Finalist – Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery NSW
Finalist – Royal Easter Art show
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art exhibition

2010
Waterbrook Art Prize – Very Highly Commended
Fairfield Art Prize – 2nd and 3rd prize/ works on paper
Liverpool Art Prize – Highly Commended/ abstract
Fairfield Arts Alive art prize – 1st prize/ contemporary
Sydney Royal Arts Show – Highly Commended/ Marine/ Seascape painting
Drummoyne Art Prize – Highly Commended/ small works
Kiama art prize – Highly commended/ contemporary
Finalist -Finalist -Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre
Finalist – ANL Maritime art prize and exhibition. Melbourne Victoria
Finalist – Blacktown art prize
Finalist – Waverley art prize
Finalist – Thirroul Art prize
Finalist – Sydney Royal Arts Show
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize

2009
Fairfield Art Prize – 1st prize/ drawing section
Hornsby Art Prize – 1st prize/ oil and acrylic section
North Sydney Art Prize – Highly Commended/ Joan’s Ridge Street Gallery Open Prize
Tumut Art Prize – Commended/ small works section
City of Ryde Art Exhibition – Commended/ modern nontraditional section
Finalist – Hornsby Art Prize.
Finalist – Northbridge Art Prize
Finalist – Blacktown City Art exhibition
Finalist – Muswellbrook Art Prize
Finalist – Thirroul Art Prize
Finalist – Sydney Royal Arts Show
finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Fishers Ghost Art Prize – Campbeltown Art Centre
Finalist – David Turnbull Bequest Prize

2008
Lane Cove art prize – 1st prize/ modern section
Fairfield Art Prize – 2nd prize/ modern section
Fairfield Art Prize – Commended/ contemporary section
Drummoyne Art Prize – Commended/drawing section
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize
Finalist – Northbridge Art Gallery Art Prize

2007
Drummoyne Art Prize – 1st prize/ modern section
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize

2006
Northbridge Art Prize – 1st prize/ oil and acrylic section
Finalist – Northbridge Art Prize
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize


Solo Exhibitions

2022
West End Art Space - Melbourne, Victoria
Art2Muse Gallery Whoollahra, Sydney NSW

2020

Art 2Muse – Double Bay Sydney NSW

2019
West End Art Space – Melbourne Victoria
Milk Factory Art Gallery – Bowral NSW

2018
Art2Muse Gallery Double Bay Sydney

2017
Art Gallery on Darling, Balmain Sydney NSW
Art2Muse Gallery Double Bay, Sydney NSW

2016
Gallery 307 – Northbridge Sydney Australia

2015
Open Spaces – Art2Muse Gallery Double Bay, Sydney NSW

2013
Sense of Place – Art2Muse Gallery Double Bay, Sydney NSW

2012
Without Borders – Art2Muse Gallery Double Bay, Sydney NSW


Group Exhibitions

2020
Milk Factory Gallery Bowral NSW
Rochfort Gallery – Landlines Sydney NSW

2019
Rochfort Gallery – Dolci
Gvat – Greenwich Village Arts Trail

2018
Rochfort Gallery North Sydney – Land and Sea Exhibition
Rochfort Gallery North Sydney – Pigments At Play
Rochfort Gallery North Sydney – A Sense Of Place
Gvat – Greenwich Village Arts Trail

2017
Without Pier Gallery – Melbourne
Art Gallery on Darling – April
Gvat – Greenwich Village Arts Trail

2016
GVAT – Greenwich Village Arts Trail – November
Art Gallery on Darling – group exhibition – November

2015
GVAT – Greenwich Village Arts Trail
Lane Cove Regional Art Gallery – Contemporary Lines

2014
GVAT – Greenwich Village Arts Trail
Art2Muse – End of Year Exhibition – Double Bay
Regional Gallery Lane Cove – Contemporary Lines – Group Exhibition  – Lane Cove
Panoply Gallery –  Winter Exhibition – Melbourne
Milk Factory – Colours of Spring -Group Exhibition – Bowral
GVAT – Greenwich Village Arts Trail

2013
GVAT – Greenwich Village Arts Trail

2012
GVAT – Greenwich Village Arts Trail
Fairfield City Council Chambers – works on display
Gallery Lane Cove – regional art gallery group exhibition
“Gallery 307 Christmas Show” – Gallery 307, Sydney NSW group exhibition
“Canterbury art exhibition” – invited artist Canterbury Victoria
“Landscapes and Sculptures” Gallery 307 Northbridge NSW group exhibition

2011
“Outlooks” – Fairfield City Museum & Gallery, NSW selected artist
“Gallery 307 Christmas Show” – Gallery 307, Northbridge NSW group exhibition
“Edge 2” – Global gallery Paddington group exhibition
“Canterbury art exhibition” – invited artist Canterbury Victoria

2010
“Oxford Street – Smithfield” – Fairfield City Museum & Gallery, NSW selected artist
“Five Ways” – Depot 2 gallery Waterloo group exhibition
“Epiphanies” Group Art Exhibition – invited artist
“Greenwich Art Show” – Greenwich NSW – group exhibition opened by Guy Warren
“Freshly painted” – Gallery 307 Northbridge group show
Canterbury art exhibition – invited artist Canterbury Victoria

2009
Fairfield City Museum & Gallery “Aspect of Eight” selected artist
Gallery 307 Northbridge “Land and Life” group exhibition

2008
Delmar Art Gallery, Trinity Grammar, Ashfield.  “Off The Shelf”. invited artists
“Gallery Artist Exhibition” Gallery 307 Northbridge

2007
Atlanta Georgia, USA Kaleidoscope Art Gallery – Invited artist exhibition
Atlanta, Georgia, USA – Spruill Art Centre – Invited artist exhibition.

2006
Red Door Art Gallery, Summer Hill – “Modern Moments” curated by Jules Francois


Articles and Reviews

Featured Artist - ‘Adjacent Possibilities’ Nancy Hillis and Bruce Sawhill- The Artists Journey- best selling book - 2022
The Australian House and Garden April 2018

Home Beautiful March 2017
The Australian House and Garden October 2015
The North Shore TImes, 16 November 2014
A La Mode Sydney 2015
Eastside radio Interview July 2012
Australian Jewish News  November 2006, Sept 2 2010
November 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
SBS Radio August 25, 2010 /By Nitza Lowenstein
The Australian Newspaper, August 24 2010 /By Ian Shedden/ bridget Cormack
Inner West Weekly, November 2006/ By Marie Sanson
Acquisitions and Commissions
North Sydney Council – Mayors office
Lifestyle Manor building Bondi NSW – Commission of 27 art works
Oak Hill College














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