Laura Oczos

Laura Oczos, born in 1984 in Newcastle and currently residing in Wollongong, NSW, is a painter whose practice centers around creating whimsical landscapes that are deeply autobiographical. Drawing inspiration from the specific places she inhabits in her daily life, Oczos paints from memory, exploring the dynamic and fluid nature of recollection. Her work blends past and present experiences, often combining multiple points of view to capture the spirit of a moment rather than striving for an exact likeness. Oczos' landscapes reflect how memory and meaning evolve through retelling and remembering, infusing each piece with a sense of nostalgia and personal history. Her unique approach results in paintings that are not just visual representations, but emotional journeys through time. Her work has been collected both nationally and internationally and has exhibited extensively across Australia. She is a multiple-time prize finalist; including the Paddington Art Prize (2024) Lethbridge 20000 (2021, 2023), Lethbridge Landscape Prize (2024) and the National Contemporary Art Prize (2021, 2022, 2023).