Michelle Taranto - Artist in Residence August 2026
About Michelle Taranto
Michelle Taranto is a Queensland-based artist, based on Darumbal Country, who's vibrant, joy-filled practice celebrates colour, comfort, and the wonder of everyday life. Since establishing her Yeppoon home studio in 2021 under the name Arco Iris Interiors, she has developed a distinct visual language that embraces bold palettes, playful compositions, and a maximalist approach to both art and living.
Taranto’s paintings draw inspiration from her beloved dogs, her collection of tropical plants and cacti, and the coastal landscapes of Central Queensland. These influences often merge in unexpected ways—abstract botanicals intertwining with animal portraits, or whimsical roomscapes infused with humour and warmth. Her palette, rooted in the vivid Latin American rainbow (arco iris), reflects her travels through South America and her belief in color’s transformative power to lift mood and wellbeing.
At the core of her practice is a drive to rediscover the child-like wonder and whimsy often lost in adulthood. Taranto sees her work as both an expressive outlet and an invitation—an encouragement to embrace abundance, delight in the everyday, and reject the monotony of grey and beige.
In 2023, she presented her debut solo exhibition, Happy At Home, at Fig Tree Galleries, and was awarded First Prize in the Easel Works Section of the Martin Hanson Art Awards for her self-portrait Modern Mother. These milestones marked her emergence as a rising voice in contemporary Australian painting.
In 2024, her practice expanded into a multidisciplinary space, exploring digital media, surface pattern design, textiles, drawing, ceramics, and watercolour. This shift broadened the scope of her work, allowing her to translate her colourful vision across new forms and contexts while maintaining the playful energy central to her painting practice.
Looking ahead to her residency at Rockhampton Museum of Art in 2026, Taranto continues to expand her exploration of colour, maximalism, and the spaces we inhabit, seeking new ways to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Image: Courtesy of the artist and Hello Mae Studio.
This program is generously supported in partnership with Haymans Electrical.