Published on Monday, 23 March 2026 at 11:30:18 AM
The Town of East Fremantle is fortunate to have a variety of inspiring local artists living in the area. This article features long-time resident, multi-disciplinary visual artist Olga Cironis.
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On a leafy East Fremantle Street resides an internationally acclaimed artist whose name is highly recognisable in art galleries nationwide.
Olga Cironis is well known for her artwork which examines cultural globalisation, personal and collective identity, and accepted attitudes on belonging in Australia. Topics which are at the front of many of today’s headlines.
Having immigrated to Sydney from the Czech Republic in 1971, her artwork references heritage - Greek, Czech and Australian.
As a young schoolgirl, she had thoughts of becoming a soldier or a nun when she grew up.
“At that time in the Czech Republic you would see a lot of soldiers in camouflage uniforms. There were no women soldiers,” she said.
“And when we immigrated to Sydney, I was intrigued by how much fun the nuns that lived next door to us appeared to be having.”
While she did not become a soldier or a nun, her artwork was heavily influenced by her efforts to make sense of her new life.
“My art is hugely inspired by my immigration to Australia,” she said.
“I am intrigued both by nature and by humanity.
“At school, I had a great art teacher who helped me communicate through art. It did not matter that I could not speak fluent English because I could get my ideas across visually.”
Her mother also had creative flair – working as a seamstress she made camouflage uniforms for the Australian Antarctic Military.
Ms Cironis’ use of camouflage motifs references soldiers’ uniforms, but also how the bark on Australian eucalyptus trees would change colour after rainfall. One of her well-known pieces was a replica of Princess Diana’s wedding dress, made from pale pink and beige desert storm camouflage material.
“It references subtle political, social, environmental, and or feminist topics. One of the artists who inspires me is Marina Ambromovic. She is a Serbian conceptual artist and performer.”
Being near water is important and having lived in the Town for 28 years, Ms Cironis reminisces about how when she first migrated to Perth, she lived in a houseboat before settling in East Fremantle.
“I have seen a lot of changes in the Town over the years,” she said.
“When I first moved here there were a lot of artists living in the Town.
“However, there have been economic changes not only in the Town but across all of Perth, and the many artists have moved further afield.”
Today, her work features in prominent national and international collections.
In her 2025 exhibition hosted at the Art Collective WA, ‘Noise in this Silence’, Ms Cironis wrapped donated and damaged cellos and violins in stitched military blankets, a symbol of recreating obsolete instruments as precious again.
“I was inspired by how in unhappy times, such as recent COVID-19 lockdowns, or Russia invading the Ukraine, there were people playing their instruments on their balconies and in the streets,” she added.
“Life is fleeting. But it is when you stand in that moment and hear music that you appreciate the beauty of art,” she said.
In 2025, Art Collective WA presented her artwork to curators, collectors and invested buyers at the Melbourne Art Fair.
As part of the Southwest Biennial 2026: Tracework exhibition, her work will be at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery from Saturday 21 March until Sunday 19 July.
For more information visit the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery or via her gallery, Art Collective WA.
Did you know?
As part of her contribution to the Town, Ms Cironis volunteered her time on the Town’s Public Art Panel in 2018.
The Town has a dedicated Public Art Panel comprising Elected Members, staff and dedicated experts in the field, on a voluntary basis. The Panel oversees and makes recommendations to the Council on matters related to the Public Art Strategy, public art projects, relocation or deaccession of artworks. They also assess and determine public art proposals and assess the implementation of public art annual action plan.
For more information, please visit the Town of East Fremantle Public Art Strategy page.
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