Ambassadors
Melbourne Art Fair welcomes new and returning ambassadors to celebrate the 17th iteration of the Fair, showcasing works of scale and significance from over 60 galleries and Indigenous art centres.
Each ambassador has been selected for their ongoing support of the arts, and for their individual achievements and recognition as Australian cultural patrons.
Richard Parker
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR, RESEARCH, RATIONALE
Since 1992, Richard has worked alongside leading dermatologists and plastic surgeons to craft skincare formulations that are considered the platinum standard in protecting and restoring the natural luminosity of human skin.
A global authority on solar and environmental skin ageing, Richard’s pioneering research into the relationships between skin genetics and epigenetic environmental influences led to his development of the RATIONALE Essential Six—a topical skin ritual built around the six facets of skin health.
Based on Richard’s unique and profound understanding of skin anatomy and physiology, the Essential Six Collections comprise formulations designed to enhance Resilience, Vitality and Brilliance by day, and rejuvenate skin’s Integrity, Clarity and Renewal processes each night.
Today, Richard is dedicated to directing RATIONALE’s talented Team of research scientists and innovation channels at RATIONALE HQ in Melbourne, Australia. A classically trained pianist and cellist, Richard is also passionately immersed in the world of art and culture, and was an accomplished performer and musical educator prior his entry into the world of dermatological research.
Anna Shapiro Taylor
ART ADVISOR
Anna is a Gadigal Country/Sydney-based art advisor. Prior to founding her advisory business, Anna worked across the Arts for over 15 years in Australia and the United States. Her career spans New York’s commercial and public arts sectors where she worked at Anton Kern Gallery, Nathalie Karg Gallery and The Art Production Fund. In Australia, Anna spent three years working at Australia’s leading arts consultancy, Articulate. Anna has also been the host of arts review program ‘The Hanging’ on FBi radio and continues to advise and work with Shapiro Auctioneers and Gallery.
Anna is dedicated to shaping personal and distinctive collections, working closely with her clients to guide them through the process of buying art – from education and acquisition to installation and collections management. She believes that collecting art should be considered, provide pleasure and enhance your everyday space.
David Flack
FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, FLACK STUDIO
David is an Australian designer renowned for multi-faceted, experiential residential, hospitality, commercial and retail environments. As the scion of a construction business family, he has a deep-seated understanding of the built environment; as a sophisticated traveller with an appreciation for art and culture, he is attuned to the potential of interiors to not just provide shelter from the world, but to create one’s own identity within it. Respectful of the architecture that precedes him Flack is adept at creating environments that resonate with their era – and echo into the future.
Pascale Gomes-McNabb
INTERIOR DESIGNER & DIRECTOR, PGMD
With a bold take on design, Pascale Gomes-McNabb is influenced by the exploration of architecture, art, travel, food, nature and culture.
An ex-restaurateur, she has created some of Australia’s most respected, award-winning establishments including, Cumulus Inc., Cutler & Co (her own places) and for others; Penfolds’ Magill Estate Restaurant and Stokehouse among others.
Her work encompasses commercial to residential interior landscapes, furniture, objects, jewellery and lighting, creating holistic environments that merge art and design to deliver visually engaging, intuitive, and thought provoking yet intensely functional and comfortable nuanced designs.
Jordan Gogos
ARTIST, FASHION DESIGNER, FURNITURE DESIGNER
Jordan Gogos is an Eora (Sydney) based, queer, Greek-Australian, multidisciplinary artist and Powerhouse Museum creative resident, known for his textile art and object/furniture design.
He debuted his namesake brand, Iordanes Spyridon Gogos at AAFW 2021 and in 2022 cemented his name as an artist breaking from convention at AAFW 2022.
Gogos uses industrialised techniques to create a combination of colour and textiles, resulting in ‘wearable art’ and structural pieces reflective of his boundless energy and bold output.
Works currently are in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the Powerhouse Museum. He has acted as contributor to leading publications such as Vogue and Harper’s BAZAAR.
Gogos was named GQ’s 2022 Creative Force Man Of The Year, which recognised his fluid designs, all often in collaboration with different artists, creatives and brands.
Christie Nicolaides
JEWELLERY DESIGNER
Australian jewellery designer Christie Nicolaides has swiftly garnered a loyal international audience of discerning collectors for her unique jewellery designs characterised by a baroque sensibility and an exuberant aesthetic.
Each of Nicolaides collections have been strongly influenced by her artistic upbringing and Greek heritage, as well as her love of antique, antiquities and vintage runway jewellery. An avid art collector and frequent traveller, Nicolaides brings this passion for art, fashion and culture together with her own exotic personal aesthetic to each themed collection.
Tamsin Johnson
INTERIOR DESIGNER AND COLLECTOR
Tamsin Johnson is an interior architect, decorator and antique dealer. The three passions work complimentary to each other in curating a home for her clients. What Tamsin’s interiors have in common is warmth, weightlessness, character and an extraordinary serenity. ‘My interiors are a blend of classic pieces, craftsmanship and obscure highlights with a focus on comfort, function, timelessness but most importantly the feel.’ Every interior should be an essay in balance restraint and exquisite quality.
Art plays a central role in our inspiration and design process. It has a pivotal place in every individual interior. Rarely a space will feel complete without the addition of art. Its sometimes the first place we start and often where we finish. I like to introduce art to my clients but not teach them what they should see or if they should like it.
Holly Lucas
MANAGING DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF INNOVATION
After 10 years driving the creative behind some of Australis’s most unique and recognisable brands. Holly relocated to France to launch Paris based creative agency Bureau of Innovation – specialising in digital content and curated event experiences.
Offering a unique take on the traditional, from concept ideation to execution across digital brand activation, bespoke parties and immersive events with a lens on social amplification. Operating in the fields of culture, fashion, art and luxury. BOI is dedicated to creating and producing memorable concepts and experiences not limited to the laws of physics offering an unprecedented opportunity for creativity.
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Patricia Szonert
DIRECTOR, MMO INTERIORS
Patricia Szonert, a well-respected figure in the art scene and an accomplished interior designer, brings a wealth of diverse experiences to her journey in the art world. Born in Poland and having lived a decade in Africa before settling in Australia, her life’s intricate weave has shaped a unique perspective.
Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Institute of Modern Art (IMA) in Brisbane, Patricia’s journey in the art world has been marked by a multifaceted approach—comprising observing, collecting, supporting various institutions, and offering guidance to clients. Described as someone who “collects art for all the right reasons,” Patricia Szonert advocates for artists at all points in their careers, demonstrating a genuine commitment to art, fostering relationships with galleries and artists, and constantly seeking new perspectives and artistic expressions.
Randal Marsh
ARCHITECT & CO-FOUNDER, WOOD MARSH
As co-founder of Wood Marsh since 1983, Randal’s philosophical and aesthetic ideals have been sustained to inform architecture throughout the ensuing decades.
Contextual issues of locality and region underpin the firm’s diverse body of work, which spans residential, commercial and urban architecture. Unmoved by flow of design trends, Wood Marsh cite the arts, generally, rather than architecture specifically, as being of a greater influence on their practice.
Simon Wright
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, LEARNING + PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY | GALLERY OF MODERN ART
Simon Wright has held public programming, exhibition, curatorial and management positions in private, commercial, public gallery and museum realms since 1993. Currently Assistant Director (Learning + Public Engagement) at Queensland Art Gallery l Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), he is a former Director of Griffith Artworks + Griffith University Art Gallery, Exhibitions Manager at Brisbane City Gallery, curatorial consultant to private collections and Gallery Manager at Bellas Gallery (now Milani Gallery). He has worked on over 250 exhibition and publication projects, receiving a Museums Australia Gallery and Museum Individual Achievement Award in 2004-5, and a National Australia Bank Partnering Award (QLD) at the Australia Business Arts Foundation Awards in 2006. In 2009 he was appointed to The Venice Biennale Commissioner’s Council for Australia at the 53rd Venice Biennale and has since participated as a member of the Venice Biennale Champions Program for Australia (VB54-57). In 2012 he was a member of the selection committee for The Premier of Queensland’s International Sculpture Commission and in 2013 was elected to the Board of The Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane.
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