Award-winning artist Dan Withey takes ‘Finite Bounty’ on tour through regional SA
Pic – The great weaver, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 150cm x 122cm
Melissa Smith
South Australian artist Dan Withey brings his bold new exhibition to regional galleries
Award-winning artist Dan Withey is hitting the road with his new exhibition, Finite Bounty. Bold and packed with colour and wit, it also asks big questions about our connection to the world around us.
Opening at Bordertown’s Walkway Gallery on Friday November 21, Finite Bounty will travel across South Australia through to early 2028, stopping in towns from Naracoorte to Port Pirie.
Withey is known for his punchy colours, bold outlines, and cheeky sense of humour. His works pull you in with playfulness, then hit you with deeper questions about life, humanity, and the universe.
“My goal is to make paintings that draw people in,” says Withey. “But the colour and form are frosting on the cake. The important stuff’s underneath.”
The great weaver, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 150cm x 122cmOne with all things, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 150cm x 122cm
In Finite Bounty, Withey explores the idea of animism – the belief that everything around us, from animals and plants to objects and places, holds its own energy and spirit. His expressive, character-filled paintings celebrate the magic that connects all things, living or not.
“Children have a perception that the universe is magical, and I want to portray that,” he says. “I want to reanimate the universe to be alive. There’s a theory that the universe created everything in it to experience itself. If we weren’t here, it wouldn’t be able to do that.”
Country Arts SA Visual Arts Manager Lauren Mustillo says the exhibition captures the imagination from every angle.
“Finite Bounty is a bustling and energetic exhibition from one of South Australia’s most prolific artists. This exhibition is imbued with a magic which will inspire audiences of all ages who will delight in Dan’s fantastical scenes, strange characters and dry sense of humour,” she says.
Pic – Dan Withey
Originally from the UK, Withey moved to Adelaide at 19 and has spent more than 15 years building a career as one of South Australia’s most recognisable visual artists. His past shows, Kindness is a Boomerang (2021), Stay Positive (2020) and Seas of Limbo (2019), have explored themes traversing inner worlds and shared cultural narratives, mixing the domestic with the fantastical. His work has appeared in major art prizes, including the Heysen Art Prize, Hawkesbury Art Prize, and in 2021 winning the Adelaide Parklands Art Prize.
The Finite Bounty tour kicks off with an opening night at the Walkway Gallery in Bordertown on Friday November 21 from 6pm, with an artist talk from Withey at 6.30pm.
Tour dates:
• Walkway Gallery, Bordertown: Nov 21 2025 – Jan 31 2026 • Naracoorte Regional Art Gallery: May 23 – Jul 5 2026 • Kapunda Community Gallery: Sep 5 – Oct 25 2026 • Chaffey Theatre, Renmark: Oct 31 – Dec 18 2026 • Murray Bridge Regional Gallery: Feb 6 – Apr 4 2027 • Coral St Art Space, Victor Harbor: Apr 17 – May 30 2027 • Nautilus Art Centre, Port Lincoln: Jun 5 – Jul 18 2027 • Middleback Arts Centre, Whyalla: Jul 24 – Sep 19 2027 • Roxbylink Gallery, Roxby Downs: Sep 25 – Nov 26 2027 • Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery: Dec 18 2027 – Feb 12 2028
Want more stories celebrating South Australia’s creative scene? Check out our ‘Creative SA’ collection for more artists, exhibitions, and events bringing regional talent to life.
