Wollondilly Australia Day ambassador: from New York to Picton

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Australian artist Yianni Johns has held exhibitions in New York, Montreal, Paris and Beijing.

Now he’s coming to the Wollondilly Shire as its 2024 Australia Day Ambassador.

He should feel right at home – Johns, who has been painting for decades, is a confirmed “tree-changer,’’ having lived since 2018 with his wife Kristen in Ardlethan, a small village located between Griffith and Wagga.

He has a bachelor of arts degree in fine art from Curtin University and a master of arts from Swinburne University.

Johns’ art plays with the notion of the beauty of the man made in the landscape.

He also works in a style called “documentary realism,” where a lot of his inspiration is gathered and collected from the internet.

Yianni is also an accomplished curator with more than 80 exhibitions under his belt.

He was awarded an Australia Day Award in 2010 for his services to arts and culture in the Central Coast region.

“Council and the community would like to welcome Yianni Johns as our Wollondilly Ambassador for 2024,’’ says Wollondilly Mayor Matt Gould.

“We are honoured to have such a talented artist as our Australia Day Ambassador and look forward to showing him our beautiful shire.”

Wollondilly’s Australia Day celebrations will be held in the Picton Botanic Gardens from 8am -12pm.

Keep an eye out on Wollondilly Shire Council’s website and Facebook page for regular updates between now and Australia Day, January 26.

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