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What is SOHO Galleries?
SOHO Galleries is a privately owned art gallery in Woollahra, Sydney, focused on original Australian art and sculpture. It has served Australian and international collectors for more than 30 years and presents itself as a place to view, buy and commission art, with framing and art advice also offered. The gallery is open seven days a week and sells online as well as in person.
What it offers
- Original paintings: Large-scale canvas works and statement pieces by Australian artists, including James Willebrant, Yosi Messiah, Conchita Carambano and Peter Griffen.
- Sculpture: One-off and limited edition pieces, including bronze and garden sculpture.
- Framing and advice: Picture framing and guidance for buyers, useful if you are acquiring a first significant work or need help judging scale and placement.
- Commissions: The gallery invites enquiries about commissioning a painting.
Who it suits
It is best suited to collectors looking for original, predominantly large-format Australian work, and to buyers who want to see pieces in person before deciding. The online listings help with initial browsing, but scale matters with works around 150–200cm wide, so a gallery visit is the more reliable way to judge a piece for a particular wall.
A practical next step is to shortlist two or three artists from the gallery's site, note the dimensions of each work, and measure those against your available wall space before visiting or enquiring. For broader context on Australian art, Art Gallery of New South Wales is a useful reference point.
How can I buy original Australian art online from SOHO Galleries if I can't visit the Woollahra gallery?
You can buy directly through SOHO Galleries' own website: browse the original paintings and sculpture, open an artwork's page for its details, and purchase online without visiting Woollahra. The gallery describes itself as serving Australian and international collectors for over 30 years and lists online buying alongside its in-gallery service, so remote purchase is an intended route, not an exception.
A practical remote-buying path
- Start with the artwork listings, not the homepage. SOHO organizes original art by artist and by size, which helps if you already know whether you need a large statement canvas or a smaller piece.
- Shortlist two or three works and compare them at the same scale. Note each work's listed dimensions and medium from its own page, then check them against your actual wall. The gallery's featured works run large — for example, Yosi Messiah's Three Musketeers Dance Away is listed at 200 x 120cm — so oversized pieces are a real category here, not an edge case.
- Ask about the things a page can't tell you. Framing is offered in-gallery, so confirm whether a work ships framed or unframed, how it will be packed, and what the delivery cost and timeframe are to your address. These are the questions to settle before paying.
- Commission if nothing fits. The gallery mentions commissioning a painting, which suits a buyer with a specific wall or palette in mind — expect a longer timeline and a conversation about size and subject.
What the gallery is actually good for
The roster is contemporary and established Australian painters and sculptors, with one-off and limited-edition sculpture alongside paintings. If you want a named Australian artist with an exhibition history — Messiah, for instance, has been a finalist in the Mosman and Blake prizes and shown with the gallery since 2004 — that is the fit. If you want to discover unknown emerging artists or buy at auction-style prices, this is not the place to start.
If you want to compare before committing
Seeing how a comparable gallery presents the same kind of work — dimensions, artist biographies, shipping terms — makes it easier to judge whether a piece is priced and described fairly. Useful reference points include Mosman Art Gallery for seeing prize-level Australian work in person, and Art Gallery of New South Wales for building your eye for Australian painting before buying. Neither sells in the same way; they are for calibration.
Next step: pick one work you like, then email or call the gallery with three questions — is it available, is it framed, and what is the total delivered cost to your postcode. A clear answer to all three is the signal that a remote purchase will go smoothly.
What does it cost to have a picture framed at SOHO Galleries, and how do I book framing?
Framing prices are not published on SOHO Galleries' site, so the cost depends on your specific piece and materials. The gallery lists picture framing as one of its services alongside original art and sculpture, and it is open seven days in Woollahra, so the practical route is to request a quote or bring the work in.
What drives the cost
- Size of the artwork, since larger frames and mounts use more material.
- Frame material and finish, from simple timber to more decorative profiles.
- Glazing choice, such as standard glass versus conservation or UV-filtering options.
- Mounting and matting, especially for works on paper that need conservation care.
- Whether the piece is already stretched or needs preparation before framing.
How to book
Contact SOHO Galleries directly to ask about framing, describe the artwork's dimensions and what you want, and request a quote. Visiting in person lets you compare frame samples against the work. If the piece is a painting bought from the gallery, mention that, as it may simplify the choice of frame style.
For a concrete decision: if you are framing a large original canvas, expect the quote to hinge mainly on frame profile and size; if it is a work on paper, ask specifically about conservation glazing and mounting before comparing prices.
Can I commission a custom painting through SOHO Galleries, and how does the process work?
Yes. SOHO Galleries explicitly offers a commission-a-painting service alongside browsing original works by its Australian artists, so you can approach the Woollahra gallery about a bespoke piece rather than only choosing from what's on the walls.
What to expect from the process
The gallery's own material describes acquiring art as "a personal experience" and frames commissions as part of that curated service, but it doesn't publish a step-by-step procedure. In practice, a commission at a gallery of this kind usually follows a common pattern:
- Start with the artist, not just the idea. The gallery represents named painters such as James Willebrant, Yosi Messiah, Conchita Carambano and Peter Griffen, working in large-scale canvases. A commission is most likely to succeed when your brief fits an artist whose style you already respond to.
- Agree the brief in person or by consultation. Size, palette, subject and intended wall or room are the practical variables. Yosi Messiah's work, for example, is described as narrative-driven, with geishas and ballerinas among his subjects—useful context if you want a storytelling piece.
- Confirm scope, timing and cost directly with the gallery. These details aren't published, so they need to be settled in conversation rather than assumed.
- Review and approve before completion. Ask at the outset what stage you'll see the work and what happens if it isn't what you envisioned.
A practical next step
Identify two or three artists on the site whose scale and style match your space, then contact the gallery with a short brief: approximate dimensions, the room, your colour preferences and any subject matter. Visiting in person is worthwhile because the gallery shows large works—pieces listed at 150–200cm wide read very differently on a wall than on a screen.
Trade-offs to weigh
A commission gives you a piece made for your space and a direct relationship with the artist's practice, but it removes the certainty of seeing the finished work first and typically involves a longer wait. Buying an existing original is faster and fully visible; limited-edition sculpture and picture framing are also offered if you'd rather build around a piece you already own.
For broader context on Australian art and commissioning practice, Art Gallery of New South Wales and Craft Australia are useful reference points.
Which Australian artists are represented by SOHO Galleries, and how do I browse their available works?
SOHO Galleries represents a roster of Australian painters and sculptors, with named artists including James Willebrant, Yosi Messiah, Conchita Carambano, Peter Griffen, Michael Whitehead, Phil Stallard, Amanda Ketterer, Marilou Palazon and Gino Campagnaro. The gallery describes itself as showing original Australian paintings and large-scale canvas works alongside one-off and limited edition sculpture.
How to browse
- Start with the "View all original art" link on SOHO Galleries to see the full range of paintings for sale.
- Use the "Paintings by artist" view if you already know whose work you want; each artist has a collection page, such as the Yosi Messiah collection.
- Use "Paintings by size" if you are working to a wall or a statement piece, since many works are oversized canvases.
- For sculpture, look for the limited edition sculpture section rather than the painting listings.
A practical next step
If you are furnishing a specific room, decide the maximum width and height first, then filter by size and check artist pages for style. A collector buying for investment might instead begin with an artist's exhibition history and prior placements; the gallery notes, for example, that Yosi Messiah has been a finalist in the Mosman and Blake prizes and is held in private and hotel collections. For a broader comparison of Sydney galleries before committing, Art Gallery of New South Wales is a useful reference point for Australian art context, though it is a public institution rather than a commercial dealer.
What should I expect when visiting SOHO Galleries in Woollahra, including opening hours and the gallery experience?
Expect a privately owned, long-established Australian art gallery rather than a white-cube contemporary space: SOHO Galleries has operated in Woollahra for over 30 years, shows original Australian paintings and sculpture, and describes itself as open seven days. The site does not publish exact daily hours, so confirm the day's times before travelling.
What you'll see
The focus is large-scale statement work: oversized canvases and one-off or limited-edition sculpture, including garden pieces. Named artists on the site include James Willebrant, Yosi Messiah, Conchita Carambano, Peter Griffen, Michael Whitehead, Phil Stallard, Amanda Ketterer, Marilou Palazon and Gino Campagnaro. Works are listed with dimensions (for example, Willebrant's The Diver's End at 153 x 101cm and Messiah's Three Musketeers Dance Away at 200 x 120cm), which helps you judge whether a piece suits a particular wall before you go.
The experience
The gallery presents itself as a curated, personal one: rotating exhibitions of selected artists, plus framing and art advice on site. Messiah's collection is a useful illustration of the programming — narrative-driven paintings, first shown at SOHO in 2004, with work held in private and hotel collections. If you are furnishing a room or starting a collection, the combination of viewing, framing and advice in one visit is the practical draw; if you want a quick browse of emerging experimental work, a specialist contemporary gallery may suit you better.
Before you go
- Check current opening times and whether a specific exhibition is hanging.
- Note dimensions of your wall space and photos of the room's light and colours.
- Ask about commissioning if you like an artist's style but need a different size.
For comparison on Sydney's wider commercial-gallery scene, Art Gallery of New South Wales covers public collections, while Craft NSW is useful if your interest leans toward studio craft and object-based work.
OVH SAS
Microsoft 365
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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