Anna-Wili Highfield (b. 1980) is an Australian artist living and working on Gadigal Land, Sydney. Her sculptures explore the tension between the materiality and the vitality of her animal and human subjects. Working without preliminary sketches, Highfield describes her sculptures as ‘drawings in space’. Combining gesture and matter, Highfield’s sculptures embody life, capturing the energy, movement, and physical essence of various creatures. She aims to engineer a moment of connection with nature, emphasising both the differences and surprising similarities between human and animal forms and consciousness.
Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in numerous collections in Australia and overseas.
Key exhibitions:
Mating Dance, Bondi Pavilion, 2025; Mudgee Arts Precinct, 2022; Glasshouse Regional Gallery, Port Macquarie, 2021.
Twitcher (group show), Maitland Regional Gallery, 2025.
Great Busts Sydney Conservatorium of Music, 2022.
Sydney Contemporary, Olsen stand, 2022.
Companions, Olsen Gallery, Sydney, 2019.
Spirit Faces, Olsen Gruin Gallery, NYC, 2018.
Animals, Carriageworks, Sydney, 2015.
Highfield has collaborated with Hermès and Tiffany & Co.
Texts
Photo: Hugh Hamilton.