Dagmar Cyrulla

Dagmar Cyrulla is a Melbourne-based artist known for her emotive paintings and sculptures that explore the complexities of human relationships. A multiple Archibald and Moran Prize finalist, her work delves into contemporary narratives, encouraging reflection on what it means to be human in an ever-changing world. “My paintings are about what it is like to be human,” she says. “They’re interpretations of experiences, choices, and fleeting moments—snapshots of real life.”

Cyrulla’s work is deeply personal yet universal, touching on themes such as family dynamics, power, role models, and emotional connection. With a strong sense of optimism, she invites viewers to engage emotionally and intellectually, offering space for self-reflection. Her aim is to provoke thought, empathy, and conversation through the lens of lived experience.

Cyrulla has held numerous solo and group exhibitions, received national and international residencies and grants, and her works are held in major public and private collections across Australia and beyond.

I created this painting to represent my gratefulness and vulnerability. This sense of vulnerability was an issue for me during the Covid lockdown. I was not being able to visit my father in ICU. I had to work on shifting my attitude, so I made a conscious effort to ‘be present’. I did this by reflecting each morning on what I was grateful for. That was all I could control, and it helped me push the sense of vulnerability aside each day. I was grateful for my relationship and the experiences and memories that have made me who I am. The way in which I captured the feeling of vulnerability was through presenting the figures naked, but with underpants. Not sexualised but intimate. The bedroom represents intimacy for me. The photo on the bedside table is obscured to represent my accumulation of memories that have led me to this point.