By Artists, For Artists

With  Felix Oppen & Kate Riley, creatives at Tiliqua Tiliqua, Enmore Road

Among the creative pulse of Enmore Road, Tiliqua Tiliqua has carved out a space where art feels personal, accessible and proudly local. Part exhibition space, part working studio, it is run by long-time locals Felix Oppen and Kate Riley, who have called Newtown home since the late 1980s. They raised their kids here, ran a design studio on King Street in the early 2000s, and now spend their days surrounded by ink, presses and creativity.

The front of Tiliqua Tiliqua is a two-room gallery designed to feel like a home. It’s an inviting space where emerging artists can showcase their work without the pressure of commissions or high gallery costs. “We wanted to create somewhere people could see art and imagine it in their own homes,” Felix says. Behind the gallery sits their working studio, home to one of only two hireable etching presses in the Inner West, making it a vital resource for local printmakers.

Their choice to set up on Enmore Road was about more than convenience, though being able to walk to work with two printing presses and several tonnes of lead type certainly helped. “It was important for us to be in an area that celebrates creativity and supports artists,” Kate says.

Post COVID, they noticed a wave of young creatives launching new ventures across the Inner West, and they wanted to be part of that energy. “We might be a little older, but we’re just as excited to go for it,” Felix says with a laugh. That same energy drives their mission to make the arts approachable and inclusive for everyone.

Tiliqua Tiliqua changes constantly, much like Newtown itself. On any given week, you might find a group show of recent NAS graduates, a tattoo artist’s first exhibition or a printmaker working late at the press. Felix and Kate also curate three anchor exhibitions a year, including the annual Small Works Show, which offers an affordable way to own a piece of original art. Outside of exhibitions, their workshops and life drawing sessions give locals a chance to get hands-on with the creative process.

“We’re local, we’ll try almost anything once & we’re ready to laugh at ourselves when we get it wrong,”

In a neighbourhood that thrives on connection and creativity, Tiliqua Tiliqua fits right in. It’s the kind of place that makes you stop, wander in and feel instantly at home among the art.

Tiliqua Tiliqua
257 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042
@tiliquatiliqua
tiliquastudio.com