Morrison Polkinghorne is an Australian artist who lived in Cambodia for almost a decade where his artist life began. His grey and black toned paintings are made with lotus stems and artisanal ink, which he distills from petals. His work uses this sacred flower as both theme and application. It is the perfect imagery for Cambodia, as it symbolizes the Lord Buddha’s spiritual awakening, emerging from the muddy dark depths into light and becoming a flash of beauty.
“I envision my pieces ecologically, holistically and spiritually, with nature and culture as the inspiration. Lotus stems are my paintbrush, while its flowers create my tones.”
Passementerie
Morrisons career from the early 1990s through 2015 was a tassel, fringe, braid and cord maker. Awarded most innovative product by the National Interior design awards in the early 1990s he went on to create trimmings from Kirribilli House to the mansions through Australia as-well as international locations. Looms, other machinery and tools required to do the work he made himself. His trimmings are handmade and time consuming work, for example Vaucluse House in Sydney took 6 people 6 months to create the trimmings for two bay windows.
Cambodia
Morrison called Cambodia home for almost a decade, returning to Australia in 2021. During this time he established Bric-à-Brac, an award-winning boutique hotel, bar, shop and studio.
It was in Cambodia that his art practice developed. He began making ink from lotus flowers and using the cut lotus stalk itself as his brush, creating repeated impressions across the paper. This process became the foundation of the work he continues today.
In 2020, his work received the top international artist award at Chicago’s Art for Life.
Australia – The Mallee
Morrison’s home and studio are in Victoria’s far north-west, in a restored century-old brick church in Murrayville.
On returning to Australia, he became Hub Coordinator for the Pinnaroo Project, which, with Flinders University, explored the effects of art and creative activity within a regional community. He is now Coordinator of the Murrayville Neighbourhood House and continues to be actively involved in arts and cultural projects across the region.
Morrison received the 2025 Elliott Award, recognising his contribution to arts and culture within the community.
From his studio in the church’s former Sunday School, he completes works begun during his regular journeys back to Cambodia, connecting the two landscapes that now shape his practice.
You must be logged in to post a comment.