Gabby Malpas is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice examines cultural identity, racism, and the complexities of belonging. A Chinese transracial adoptee raised by white parents in New Zealand, Malpas has experienced racism through a white lens—an upbringing that profoundly shaped her understanding of self and culture. Reclaiming her Chinese heritage later in life, she immigrated to Australia as both an artist and activist, using art as a means to address issues of identity, migration, and systemic exclusion.

Malpas’s work emerges from the trauma of existing between two worlds—never fully accepted by either—and is expressed across two- and three-dimensional forms, including watercolour and ceramics. Her practice is characterised by a hybrid visual language that merges ancient and contemporary iconography, often infused with wit and satire. By challenging the traditional genre of Chinoiserie through her own lived narrative, Malpas creates works that are visually delicate and ornamental, yet conceptually layered and emotionally charged.

This calculated contrast—between beauty and confrontation—draws viewers in, encouraging closer inspection and deeper reflection. A graduate of the Otago Art School, Dunedin, with a major in ceramics, Malpas is a multi-finalist in the Ravenswood, Paddington, and Mosman Art Prizes. A proud maximalist, she lives and works on Gadigal land of the Eora Nation, Sydney, Australia.