How a 'mere flower painter' created a unique Australian art style

Key points

• A new retrospective at the Ian Potter Centre in Melbourne, running until 31 January 2027, examines the career of artist Margaret Preston. After returning from Europe following World War I, Preston set out to build a distinct Australian art style.
• She worked with flora, Sydney Harbour views and woodblock printing, and her career drew both dismissal from male artists and accusations of cultural appropriation from modern First Nations artists.
• The exhibition includes works that show both her achievements and her contradictions.