Introduction

Although Australia boasts a significant number of female artists, time and again they remain in the shadow of their male counterparts. The sphere of women’s art is often perceived to be confined to the crafts, ceramics, sketching and other smaller genres.  The aim of this portal is to dispel these traditional perceptions. In its introduction, the portal provides links to a number of trusted resources that highlight the history of women’s art in Australia from colonial times to the present. Most importantly however, here you will find information on four women who do not fit the stereotypical description of a female artist and instead found their way to success and recognition. Among them are Margaret Olley, Tracey Moffatt, Mirka Mora and Vali Myers. This portal can be used as a starting point for research related to contemporary Australian art, in particular women’s art but also to broader issues of women’s emancipation, social justice and recognition.