Selected works from RMIT Culture collections and International Collections

Noel Counihan, Hunger, 1959

This piece speaks to me because more than enough food is produced to feed the global population, however, more than 690 million people still go hungry. Even after decades of steady decline, world hunger has slowly been on the rise. Something is fundamentally wrong with capitalism and globalisation.

Noel Counihan Hunger, 1959

Linocut on cream wove paper

Edition: 30/50

61 x 44.4 cm (sheet)

Acquired by the Preston Institute of Technology before 1972 Phillip Institute Collection, RMIT University Art Collection

Howard Arkley, Suburban Exterior, 1983

I believe a significant part of suburban exterior is ‘silence’ and ‘isolation’. This was a culture shock I experienced upon my return to Australia in 2016, after being away overseas, living in Cambodia for twenty years since the age of three. I am not a fan of suburban life, I miss the colourful noises of South East Asian streets, the smell of street food, laughter, children playing, knowing and loving my neighbours. I miss organic communities, and daily life on bustling streets.

Howard Arkley Suburban Exterior, 1983

©The Estate of Howard Arkley, Courtesy Kalli Rolfe Contemporary Art Synthetic polymer paint on canvas 159.8 x 120 cm

Purchased by the Phillip Institute of Technology, 1984 Phillip Institute Collection, RMIT University Art Collection

Works by Anya Minko

Colorful faces

I don’t get to see many faces nowadays due to COVID restrictions, however it has been the perfect time to paint a few colourful ones instead. I’ve chosen this artwork because I didn’t plan it, what I had in my mind was not this. This orange I managed to mix has now made me fall in love with the colour orange. I don’t know who this character is, this could be a representation of me, it could be anyone. We’re all voyeurs one way or another.

An egg for an eye

People often point out that I like to paint men, I honestly don’t know what I like to paint. I paint these characters because I can’t paint, I don’t do Realism because I don’t have the patience for it. However, I enjoy art, the freedom it provides, I believe sometime we need to relax and not take art too seriously because art is the universal solvent against the abrasive elements of life.

2 Faced

I love creating art around midnight. I drew a circle with the intention to draw a face, instead I ended up with two faces, the one on top displays our true emotions of worry and fearthe face that is often hidden behind our ‘confidence’. My favourite artworks tend to be the ones I had no intention of creating.

Subhasree Mohapatra

Subhasree is an enthusiast about gaining knowledge about technology and arts. She is currently pursuing Masters of Data Science at RMIT University, Melbourne after working in IT sector. Besides paintings, she also shows interests in music and likes to know about different cultures and people.