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Daniel O’Toole
Multimedia Artist
Naarm (Melbourne), AustraliaMy work is about perception: how colour, light, sound and space shape the way we experience the world. Drawing in part from my own experiences of Visual Snow Syndrome and synaesthesia, I am interested in distortion, sensory overlap and the instability of seeing and hearing. Working across painting, photography, moving image, sound and installation, the practice shifts between intimate moments of colour and texture and larger immersive works that invite interaction and collective play.
My visual work shares some of the concerns of the 1960s and 70s Light and Space movement, particularly an interest in light, material and perception, while also responding to the speed and intensity of contemporary visual culture. Large-scale colour field paintings often sit behind frosted acrylic screens, with mirrors concealed along the inside edges of the frame. These simple materials allow colour, reflection and the surrounding space to shift as the viewer moves. Rather than treating painting as a fixed image, I am interested in making the act of looking itself part of the work.
Sound comes from another longstanding part of my background. Having studied classical violin and audio engineering, I have an ongoing sound practice that increasingly collides with the visual work. I am interested in sound as something physical and spatial, and in making the relationship between action and sound visible or tangible. In Voices from the Void, nine resonant brass drums fitted with proximity sensors respond to the movement of visitors, turning the gallery into an instrument that can be played collectively. This interest in chance, resonance and physical space connects with artists such as John Cage and Harry Bertoia, whose work expanded the possibilities of sound beyond conventional musical performance.
I’m most interested in the places where these different languages begin to blur: where sound becomes physical, colour becomes spatial, or the presence of the viewer alters the work itself. Across painting, moving image and installation, I want to create experiences that momentarily shift us away from ordinary reality, toward something strange, immersive and slightly unstable, while making us more aware of the ways we see, hear and move through the world.
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Daniel O’Toole (b. 1984, Sydney) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Naarm/Melbourne, working across painting, sound, installation and moving image. His practice centres on perception, using colour, light, sound and spatial interaction to explore the shifting relationship between the physical world and the way it is experienced.
O’Toole studied at the National Art School in Sydney and holds a Diploma of Audio Engineering from SAE. His background in visual art, classical violin and audio has developed into a practice where sound and image increasingly intersect, moving between intimate colour-field works and larger immersive and interactive installations.
His interactive sound installation Voices from the Void was first presented at Benalla Art Gallery in 2023 and has since been exhibited at the Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie, Arts Space Realm in Melbourne, and The Glasshouse in Port Macquarie.
Internationally, Eye of the Butterfly was commissioned by Krupa Art Foundation for the exhibition On the Limits of Human Cognition: Light and Shadow in Wrocław, Poland. The work is an immersive moving-image and 7.1 surround-sound installation, with video projected across the walls and floor and an original composition for string quartet and synthesisers adapted from O’Toole’s album Luminous Unknown. Following the exhibition, the work was donated to and accepted into the Foundation’s permanent collection, and was later presented at the 2024 Paxos Biennale in Greece.
O’Toole’s work has also been presented internationally through galleries and art fairs in China, Japan and Denmark, including with Ism Art Space, JAU Design and Gallery Christoffer Egelund in Copenhagen, as well as in the United States and Belgium. Recent exhibitions include Echoes of Daylight at Gallery Leclair, Antwerp; Mapping Perception at Saint Cloche, Sydney; Noisy Eyes at Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne; and Cosmic Soup at Saint Cloche.
His work has also been commissioned by organisations including Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton and Ginger & Smart. Across these different contexts, O’Toole continues to develop a practice that moves between visual and sonic forms, with a growing focus on immersive, interactive and spatial work.
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Education
Graduated Highschool, International Grammar School 2002.
Diploma of Audio Engineering SAE, Sydney, 2004
Studied at National Art School, Sydney, 2007-2008
Curatorial experience
Curator, 'Alpha Gallery', Sydney 2017-2018
Gallery director and founder at 'Soldiers Rd gallery', Sydney, 2012-2013
Gallery director and founder at 'Oh really gallery' Sydney, 2008-2011
Prizes
Finalist ‘MAC Yapang Art Prize, Lake Macquarie, 2025
Finalist 'Omnia Art prize' VIC 2024. Finalist, ‘JADA, Jacaranda Acquisitive drawing award, Grafton regional gallery. 2024
‘National Photography prize'‘ Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), NSW, March-Aug 2024.
Finalist 'Omnia Art prize' VIC 2023.
Finalist, 'Dobell drawing prize' 2023
Finalist, 'Blue thumb art prize', Abstract painting category, 2022.
Finalist 'Lethbridge small scale works prize' 2022.
Finalist, 'Calleen Art Prize', Regional NSW, 2014,
Finalist, 'Sunshine Coast Art Prize' QLD, 2014
Selected Exhibitions
‘Voices from the void’ Solo exhibition, The Glass House, Port Macquarie, NSW, July-Oct, 2026.
‘Mapping Perception’ Joint exhibition with Thomas Thorby-Lister, Saint Cloche Gallery, Sydney, June 2026.
‘Echoes of Daylight’ Solo exhibition, Gallery Leclair, Antwerp, Belgium, Feb 2026
Noisy Eyes, Solo exhibition, Backwoods Gallery, VIC, Aug 2025.
Sentinels group exhibition, Saint Cloche Gallery, Sept 2025
Cosmic Soup, Solo exhibition, Saint Cloche Gallery, Sydney, Feb 2025.
‘Immortal’ 10 year anniversary exhibition curated by Kitty Clark, Saint Cloche Gallery, Dec 2024.
‘On the limits of human cognition. Light and Shadow’,Immersive video installation, Krupa Art Foundation, Wrocław, Poland. Curator - Anna Stec, April-June 2024
‘In the Mix’ curated exhibition at Nationale 8 Galerie, Brussels/ Belgium, June 2024.
Paxos Biennale, video installation titled ‘Eye of the butterfly’ June 2 - Oct 6, Paxos, Greece. 2024
‘Voices from the Void’ Sound installation, Museum of art and culture, Lake Macquarie, NSW, April-June 2024.
‘The Light Draws Along’, commissioned works made in collaboration with Alex Walker, for a curated exhibition at Incinerator, VIC, April-June, 2024.
‘Anti Lens’ in collaboration with Alex Walker for the ‘National Photography prize'‘, Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), NSW, March-Aug 2024.
‘Voices from the Void’ Sound installation, Arts pace Realm, Ringwood, Melbourne, Feb-March 2024.
‘Eye music’Solo exhibition, Saint Cloche, Sydney Australia, Nov 2023.
‘Luminous Unknown’ Solo exhibition/album launch, Modern times, Melbourne, Australia, Aug, 2023.
‘Fahrenheit’ curated exhibition, Galerie John Ferrère, Paris, France, July 2023.
‘Summertime 23, 19th Edition’, curated exhibition, Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Coppenhagen, Denmark. June/July 2023.
'Warp and Ripple' Solo exhibition, National & Gallery, Brussels, Belgium, March 2023.
"Voices from the void', sound installation, Benalla regional art gallery, Feb-April 2023,
"Voices from the void' sound installation, Oigall projects, November 2022.
'Tempered resolution', solo exhibition Curatorial and co, Sydney, Aug 2022.
'Cascade Rumble' solo exhibition, Modern Time, Melbourne, Feb 2022.
'Transitions' exhibition A.M Biiere, NYC 2022.
'Deliquescent light' solo exhibition, Curatorial and Co, Sydnev, Feb 2021
'Luxembourg art fair', showing with National 8 gallery (Brussels), 2020
'Duality experiment', KSR Art bar, Melbourne, 2019
'The long tomorrow', May Space, Sydney, 2018
'Interruption' Black box, 'May Space' Waterloo. 2017
'Echo Chamber' Biennale (Lvon/France) 2017
'Broken Colour', Juddy Roller gallery, Melbourne 2017
'Bending Light' Juddy Roller gallery Melbourne 2017.
'Unrest' at Day Fine Art, Sydney, 2016
'Tree Spirits' at Juddy Roller gallery, Melbourne 2015
'Polaroid Painting' solo exhibition, China Heights Gallery 2014
'Elements' Harrison Galleries, Sydney, 2011
'Board' exhibition at the NGV 2011
'Carriage Art Works' Carriage Works, Sydney 2009
'Duality experiment' KSR Art bar, Melbourne, 2019
'Volcano Toast', Black Cat/Happy Mag (Sydney/Melbourne),2019
'New Lines' Rex Livingston, Sydney, 2013
In Transit' (dual show with Matt Leslie at Soldiers Rd Gallery Aug 2013.
'Berlin Residencv Show' 111 Tor Strasse Berlin Sept. 2013
Residencies
Q-Bank Residency, Queenstown, Tasmania 2018.
111 Tor Strasse, Berlin, 2013
Tavern Gutenburg, Lyon, France , 2017
Commissioned Works
Private commission for Union Art and design, USA, 2024.
Custom artworks for Tiffany and Co, Sydney/Melb, 2023-2024.
Custom artworks (Triptych) for Louis Vuitton, Sydney international Airport, 2022.
Video installation commissioned for Sydney Fashion week, commissioned by Ginger and Smart, 2021.
Two Story mural on King street for the New Theatre, Sydney, 2016
Curation and participation in a large scale community mural project on Goddard street/ Newtown, Sydney, (ongoing) 2015-2019
Two story mural, ’Doctor Morse’ Melbourne, 2016
Two Story mural as part of Wall to wall Festival Benalla 2016
Commissioned painting and video interview for NETFLIX promotional campaign 2015.
Three story mural ,Art Walk Katoomba/NSW 2015
Commissioned mural, Benalla Regional Gallery, Victoria, 2015.
Live Painting mural at Cowra Regional Art Gallery March 2014.
Public mural on Camden St. Newtown for Marrickville council 'Perfect Match project' 2014
Commercial Mural at SAE (School of Audio Engineering York St. Sydney 2014 Mural at ‘Venue 505’, Sydney, 2013
Mural on Cleveland St Surry hills for Jazz Club/‘Venue 505’, Sydney, 2012
100 metre long mural for Marrickville Council in Camperdown Oval/NSW. 2011
Live Painting for Information and Cultural Exchange charity, Cockle bay wharf (sold through Sotherbys) 2010