Soula Mantalvanos | Artist, designer & gallerist Melbourne Australia
Soula Mantalvanos | Artist, designer & gallerist
2026 Queenscliff Gallery Focus: Corridoi Luminosi | Luminous Corridors Exhibition dates: May 28 – Jun 15, 2025 Join me in the gallery between 11 am and 3 pm each weekend. I'd love to chat to you. My statement Sketched in situ and completed in my Queenscliff studio, my current body of work began with the quiet act of walking, observing, and sketching [...]
That’s exactly how it felt when we celebrated our 10th birthday at Queenscliff Gallery (QG). With the ongoing glum vibes that have poured in since COVID, it felt so great to throw a party and celebrate the collaborative efforts of fellow artists, business owners, friends, family, the community, and our brilliant patrons who helped us cross the milestone. [...]
Queenscliff Gallery Celebrates its 10th Anniversary with the exhibition ’10/10′. Exhibition dates: Nov 13 – Dec 8, 2025 Queenscliff Gallery (and I!) are thrilled to announce the gallery’s 10th anniversary, marked by a spectacular art exhibition showcasing the works of ten distinguished artists who have been integral to the gallery’s journey – since day one! This milestone celebration [...]
Demand is everything to every business person. I am a businessperson. I sell products, mainly art, so demand is everything to me. This is the one defining factor of a successful artist—demand. You might see artworks that are good, bad, excellent, and/or awful; none of that influences sellability. The buyer drives success. Commitment to an art piece—whatever its subject, execution quality, medium, size, shape, or form is what makes demand. This is how representation works. A gallery is a shop. The shop's audience calls the shots and defines the stable. If the audience doesn't buy the art, the shop closes. As an artist and gallery owner, I feel much pressure to perform and sell! I can't take up the precious space of another artist. This week, I received tremendous encouragement—I sold work before my December exhibition at Queenscliff Gallery (QG).
I really like intimate exhibition spaces! Small spaces attract much attention, especially if they are great (if I may say so) and at the gallery entry and exit point like the Vestibule at Queenscliff Gallery (QG). I finally decided it was time to send Endurance out into the world. I'm working on a new body of work and feel a few of my self-portraits can finally face the world. After a few touch-ups, I also re-introduced Hare's Secret Keys. Both works incorporate the Fornasetti wallpaper that I live with and love and my two marionettes.
A petit revolving collection in the Vestibule entry of the Queenscliff Gallery.
Am I Streeton inspired? Of course! And as the gallery Director of Queenscliff Gallery (QG) I not only had the privilege to place myself as part of the Streeton Prints artists in residence project but I also felt I needed to - a kind of practice to my preach. With Theo as my printer (and my little bit more) I'm finally looking [...]
Finding themselves at a life crossroad, creative directors Soula and Theo Mantalvanos of ooi - creative communication, decided to grant themselves four months of thinking time on the East Coast of Tasmania. Away from their Collingwood routine, they were able to clarify and plan for the next stage of life, taking into serious consideration Soula's chronic pain issue and related daily limitations. Soula [...]
‘Lyno Writing At Cavallero’ made it into this year’s Williamstown Contemporary Art Prize. The launch and awards ceremony was held at The Substation Arts Centre in Newport on 20 March, 2008 with a crowd of over 400 people in attendance. The Contemporary Art Prize is run annually as part of the Williamstown Festival. Judges for this year were noted Melbourne artist Rick Amor, [...]
