On a warm Friday morning in the industrial precinct of Turrella, there’s the general toing and froing you would expect. People are moving products, machines are moving people and there’s a distinct hum of life and business in motion.

For Bondi artist Dion Horstmans, his studio and workshop is a pared-back retreat; a raw space that lies behind a 10-metre roller door. It’s an atelier in which he feels alive, and the place from which his art not only lives, but begins. 

Sculptural metal forms are Dion’s trademark; some that make a monochromatic statement, and others that are slightly more playful in bold primary colours. With an aesthetic driven by lines, balance, light and shadow, it’s one that’s been present in galleries across the country for the last 20 years. 

“I didn’t always have a studio and now that I have a space that’s mine, I see it as a place full of excitement and opportunity,” he tells BresicWhitney, as we visit the studio in its organic form. “My art is my struggle, my language. I aim to represent a fleeting moment in time through my work, and for me when I’m creating, that’s when the noise stops, time slows down and everything is clear,” says Dion. It’s a visceral process he shares with those willing, and one that’s reflected in the titles of his exhibitions. ‘Hectic electric’, ‘dark matter’, ‘light speed’, and ‘supersonic’ are among the shows that have drawn crowds from Sydney to Melbourne, to Brisbane and the regions in between.

It’s not only Dion’s works that omit a certain energy. His unmistakable physical presence is underscored by a deep sense of spirituality and self-awareness. He is perhaps a human representation of ying and yang, of the delicate balance between the light and dark that lives inside us all. “I smile and say hello to everybody around here. I’m tall, bald, bearded with a heavy brow so I figure I have to,” he laughs. “I could come across as angry, when really, I’m just thinking about something.” There’s a vigilance about the physical form in which he exists; and I gather that it’s something that allows him to continue subverting expectations time again.

Born and bred in the South Pacific Island of Rarotonga, Dion’s upbringing was a humble one, recalling memories of time in nature, chasing chickens and pigs. He moved to New Zealand for his schooling, and after university at age 21, flew East to start a new chapter. “I cut my teeth in the film industry, and had a family,” says the father of two young adult daughters, reflecting on the 30 years since he landed in Australia. 

 

“I soon worked out that my childhood of ‘making’ was really where I wanted to evolve. It’s a constant hustle though,” he says. Hallmarks of his journey are peppered throughout the studio, and there’s a little office that houses a workbench and makeshift kitchen, freehand drawings, stencils, books, and a calendar, with each day proudly marked off. It’s about as authentic as an artists’ space can get. “Many of my works start from this piece of paper, you see, that’s how the lines come together and intertwine,” he says, showing one of his books. 

There’s much that a visitor could observe within this room that would tell you about Dion’s achievements, values, and learnings, but it’s best to hear it directly from the subject. “You have to be light on your feet, thick skinned, able to pivot, say yes, but also able to follow through,” he says of life as an artist. “I think of myself as forever emerging, and other people should think of themselves this way too. With my shows for example, I think that every show is my first show.” A mindset he’s practised at least 30 times; the most recent being just last week, with his ‘Motus Coloration’ solo show at Paddington’s Verona Studio (‘an exploration of colour through movement’). 

 

 

 

Inspiration however, as a fixed concept, is not something he gravitates to. “You can draw inspiration from anything or everything, and it changes day to day. It could be work, it could be turning up, it could be giving it a go when you’re feeling empty. Doing the work day in, day out is what makes things happen, and then the magic comes.”

As a man proudly focused on being present and following the ebbs and flows of life, he relishes the idea of having no plans. “Time to slow down is as important as the times when you’re moving forward. That stillness of being by the ocean or out in nature is ground zero for me.”

And while Dion, and his pieces, are firmly weighted in reality, there is one fictional character he resonates with. “Buzz Lightyear. To infinity and beyond! What a great saying.”

Learn more about Dion’s works here.