How to Buy Original Australian Art or Sculpture from SOHO Galleries

Updated

You can buy from SOHO Galleries in two ways: browse and purchase original art online, or visit the gallery in Woollahra, Sydney, which is open seven days a week. Both routes suit buyers of original Australian paintings and sculpture; the online route is better if you already know the artist or size you want, while a gallery visit helps if you need to see scale and surface in person or want art advice before committing. The gallery also takes commissions and offers picture framing.

What SOHO Galleries sells

SOHO Galleries is a privately owned Sydney gallery in Woollahra that has served Australian and international collectors for over 30 years. Its range covers:

  • Original Australian paintings, including large-scale and oversized canvas works
  • Sculpture, described as one-off and limited edition, including bronze and garden sculpture
  • Picture framing and art advice
  • Commissions — the site invites buyers to commission a painting

Artists named on the site include James Willebrant, Yosi Messiah, Conchita Carambano, Peter Griffen, Michael Whitehead, Phil Stallard, Amanda Ketterer, Marilou Palazon and Gino Campagnaro. You can browse by artist or by painting size.

Buying online vs. visiting in Woollahra

Buying online Visiting the gallery
Best for Buyers who know the artist, style or dimensions they want Buyers who need to judge scale, colour and texture in person
What you can do View artworks and collections, browse by artist or size, enquire about a commission See works hung, get art advice, discuss framing and commissions
Availability Depends on each work's listing; confirm before relying on a piece being available Gallery open seven days
Limitation Screen colour and scale can mislead on large canvases Requires being in or travelling to Sydney

If you are buying a large statement piece — many works listed run 150–200cm wide — a gallery visit is worth it, because a 200 x 120cm painting reads very differently on a wall than on a screen.

What to check before you buy

The site lists specific details for individual works, so use them as your checklist:

  1. Title and artist — confirm the exact work, e.g. Yosi Messiah's Three Musketeers Dance Away.
  2. Dimensions — listed in centimetres (e.g. 200 x 120cm, 153 x 101cm). Measure your wall and account for framing before deciding.
  3. Original vs. edition — paintings are listed as original; sculpture may be one-off or limited edition. Ask which applies to the piece you want.
  4. Availability — a listed work may already be sold; confirm before planning around it.
  5. Framing — decide whether you want the gallery's framing service and factor it into your timeline.
  6. Delivery and payment terms — the site does not publish pricing or payment details, so ask the gallery directly about price, shipping (including international) and payment methods.

Commissioning a painting

If nothing in the current collection fits your space or subject, the gallery accepts commissions. Before starting, agree on the artist, size, subject direction, price and completion timeline in writing, and ask to see progress images if the work is large. This is the route to take when you need a specific dimension for a wall rather than an existing canvas.

A practical example

Suppose you want a large work for a living room wall of about 2.5 metres. You shortlist Yosi Messiah's 200 x 120cm Three Musketeers Dance Away online, then check availability and price with the gallery, confirm whether framing is included, and — if you can — visit Woollahra to see the work in person before committing. If the size is wrong for the space, ask about a commission at your exact dimensions instead.

Bottom line

Buy online if you know what you want and have confirmed the work's details and availability; visit the Woollahra gallery if scale, surface or advice matters, or if you are considering a commission. In both cases, verify dimensions, edition status, framing, price and delivery terms directly with the gallery before purchasing.