“For over four decades, we have lived a life immersed in art, drawing inspiration from the ancient landscapes of Europe, the raw beauty of Australia, and the rich tapestry of cultures encountered on our journeys.”
An Artistic Journey
Shona Nunan and Michael-Francis Cartwright are an Australian sculptor couple who have been creating sculpture, painting, and drawing together for over 40 years. Their deep passion for art runs through three generations—both were raised by fathers who painted, and their two sons, Jacob and Sollai, are now sculptors themselves.
Their work has evolved through decades of travel and experience—from early years in Italy to long working periods in Australia, major commissions across Asia, and over 20 years of representation in Hong Kong and Singapore. Their creative life has also been shaped by formative journeys through China, Papua New Guinea, and Europe, often undertaken with their children.
Today, they work from studios in Tuscany, Provence, and Australia, casting their bronze works in Pietrasanta with Fonderia Versiliese and exhibiting internationally. Their sculpture draws on mythology, nature, and the enduring power of the handmade.
Studios in France, Italy, and Australia
In France, they maintain a studio in the village of Correns in Provence. Their studios are housed in a restored village house, lovingly rebuilt over time and expanded to include dedicated exhibition spaces. This is where they host intimate showings and collector gatherings, surrounded by the history and warmth of the village.
Working Under the Sky: The Australian Bush Studios
Administration and worldwide business are based in Australia, with studios in France and Italy supporting creation and production. In Australia, their studios are open-air — set directly in the bush, surrounded by gum trees, birdsong, and wide open skies. These outdoor studios offer a raw, elemental creative space, where the wind and light shape the rhythm of the work. Making art here is a quiet immersion in the landscape itself — an experience of weather, time, and space that leaves a tangible imprint on the materials.
The outdoor nature of these studios encourages a different kind of engagement: more intuitive, more exposed, more immediate. It is a return to origins — where the land, not the walls, holds the space for art.
Pietrasanta Italy, the sculptor’s Mecca.
In Italy, Pietrasanta remains a creative anchor — a town known for its marble and its long tradition of sculpture. Shona and Michael have worked here since the 1980s, collaborating with master artisans in bronze foundries and marble carving yards.
A Continuing Journey
Throughout their careers, Nunan & Cartwright have exhibited internationally and their works are held in public and private collections around the world. Their practice today continues with the same essential curiosity and commitment to beauty that marked their early years — an ongoing dialogue between form and feeling, memory and material, silence and expression.
“We welcome collectors and art enthusiasts to experience our work firsthand. Visits to our studios are available by appointment only.”