The last time we saw a felt-tip pen being put to artistic use, the instructions were to colour within the lines. With Unknown Artist, Australian mystery TextaQueen shows how far one can go with markers and fibre-tips, for it is with these seemingly humble tools that she has created award-winning works of art, employing them to incredible effect again in this latest collection of self-portraits.

TextaQueen’s drawings (Texta is a brand of marker, for the non-Aussies reading) enjoy a childish quality thanks to her medium, which is embraced rather than apologised for, and which are at times a bit bonkers and at times deceptively sophisticated in their fantastical and religious subjects. In Unknown Artist, TextaQueen is re-imagined as Ghandi, Jesus, a mythical Indian dog-wolf, and even what looks suspiciously like Nikki Minaj alongside Animal of the Muppets. Sydney’s Sullivan and Strumpf Gallery plays host to the cast of colourful characters until 9th March.

Family Tree (self-portrait), 2012
felt-tip marker, coloured pencil and acrylic
paint pen on Stonehenge cotton paper,
97 x 127cm

Colonised Desire – The Textaqueen, Animal Within (self-portrait) 2012,
felt-tip marker, coloured pencil and acrylic
paint pen on Stonehenge cotton paper,
127 x 97cm

Sub-Cultural Charms (self-portrait) 2013,
felt-tip marker and acrylic
paint pen on Stonehenge cotton paper,
127 x 97cm

Call of the Crocotta (self-portrait) 2013,
felt-tip marker, coloured pencil and acrylic
paint pen on Stonehenge cotton paper,
97 x 127cm

Grown/Flown/Unknown (self-portrait) 2012,
felt-tip marker on Stonehenge cotton paper,
127 x 97cm

Gandhi Returns (self-portrait) 2013
felt-tip marker, coloured pencil and acrylic
paint pen on Stonehenge cotton paper,
127 x 97cm