Based in Griffith, New South Wales, artist Anthea da Silva's abiding interest in life drawing and portraiture is an underpinning theme throughout her practice. Da Silva's careers in both occupational therapy and teaching tertiary art bring a deep appreciation for the anatomy and physiology of the human form, and are the foundations for the core of her arts practice. Working mostly with charcoal and oils or acrylics on light-boxes, she has also developed large-scale urban art and video projection artwork. Da Silva has facilitated arts workshops in Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, worked as an arts lobbyist, in public and education programming for regional and community art galleries, and as an artistic director and facilitator with festival teams. She has enjoyed a recent deserved elevation of recognition for her work; in 2020 Da Silva was awarded the inaugural Darling Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery with her portrait of Dr Elizabeth Cameron-Dalman OAM, and was shortlisted for the Portia Geach Memorial Award.
