MUNTHE ART MONDAY:
Belynda Henry

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

I am an artist. My work is an ongoing dialogue with the Australian landscape - a study of light, architectural line, atmosphere, and the quiet rhythm of the natural world. Living and painting embedded in the landscape.

I translate the emotional and visual resonance of the terrain around me onto canvas through multi-layered compositions, expressive color, and delicate spatial balance. Sometimes I may not be depicting a physical landscape, but rather my internal emotional one.

Over decades of dedicated practice, my work has evolved into an exploration of how we experience space and light, bringing the sensory essence of the outdoors into living environments across Australia and now internationally.

Belynda is wearing our VIRIONICS OUTERWEAR and VENIRE SKIRT.

Can you name some female artists that inspire you and explain why they do so?

I find deep resonance in artists who redefined the boundaries of abstraction, atmosphere, and spatial perception.

Clarice Beckett’s extraordinary mastery of tonalism captures the quiet, poetic soul of the landscape through subtle shifts in light and fog with a restraint that remains timeless.

I am equally moved by Sonia Delaunay’s dynamic, geometric use of pure color and rhythmic structure, which proved how visual art seamlessly translates across scale and architecture.

Helen Frankenthaler’s revolutionary soak-stain technique and expansive compositions redefined mid-century abstraction, demonstrating how a canvas can breathe with incredible luminosity, while Lee Krasner’s explosive energy, compositional rigour, and relentless refusal to be overshadowed stand as a masterclass in pure artistic conviction.

What would you like people to notice in your artwork?

I want viewers to feel a moment of quiet, immersive pause.

Beyond the immediate harmony of color and form, I hope people notice the subtle balance between structure and emotion - the way light filters through layered washes of paint, or how a sharp, geometric line can anchor the expansive softness of a landscape.

I am for my work to touch on the principals of a traditional landscape, get transport the viewer to the precipice of abstraction.

Ultimately, I want the artwork to act as a sanctuary: a living space where the viewer can connect with the timeless energy of the landscape and experience a personal sense of stillness and contemplation.

I always say, one sometimes doesn’t choose a painting that they love, but rather a painting that loves them back.

Photography credits: Nicholas Samartis.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

To be candid, I have never approached my easel through the lens of gender; I think of myself simply as an artist committed to the discipline and rigour of my craft.

Looking at the trajectory of my career, however, it is undeniable that the fine art world was historically structured around a male-dominated canon. Breaking through those legacy barriers required not just technical mastery, but resilience, professional autonomy, and an uncompromising dedication to my vision.

In many ways, that challenge refined my focus: it taught me to build my practice with complete independence, forge global gallery partnerships on my own terms, and let the strength and authenticity of the artwork command its place in the market.

Though I do recall one revealing moment early on: an Australian gallerist once asked me not to wear high heels socially—presumably believing a painter should only ever appear in a utilitarian smock and paint-splattered boots.

Conforming to that directive would have meant being untrue to myself. Instead, it ignited a desire to expand my horizons globally. (So I thank that gallerist—he knows who he is!) Ironically, it was the ultimate style arbiter, Christian Louboutin—a master designer, hotelier, icon, art collector, and the undisputed king of the high heel—who purchased nearly my entire debut exhibition in New York.

Belynda is wearing our VASILIA TOP.

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a woman in the arts?

The greatest challenge has been navigating the industry's subtle, systemic impulse to categorise or diminish women’s work—viewing it through a biographical or gendered narrative rather than evaluating it on its intellectual, painterly, and market merits.

Overcoming that meant refusing to be placed in a box. It required building a sustainable, international career that competes at the highest institutional and commercial levels purely on the power of the work itself, helping pave a clearer, more equitable path for the next generation of creators.

I have found that artistic home with the prestigious Findlay Galleries in New York and Palm Beach.

I am currently preparing for my fifth solo exhibition in the United States, drawing deep inspiration from the American landscape following a recent creative journey through Malibu, Santa Barbara, Ojai, Joshua Tree, and the desert.

Belynda is wearing our VIRIONICS OUTERWEAR.