A Conversation with Alysia Tay
Alysia Tay is a versatile creative based in Boorloo/Perth — full-time graphic designer by day, oil painter by night, with an online art shop and freelance work always running in the background. Her work leans playful and colour-saturated, but there’s a softness underneath it. A kind of attention. The kind you only notice when you slow down.
For Flash. Issue 03 — a Project See & B × Jean Marie Film collaboration that gave twenty creatives second-hand film cameras and total freedom — Alysia picked up a Canon Prima BF and let it follow her across Australia.
At first, she thought she’d chase the obvious shots: the tourist landmarks, the “you have to see this” moments. Perth. Sydney. Melbourne. The big stuff.
But the images that stayed weren’t grand or staged. They were smaller. Human. A person walking through a park. Sunlight landing on the edge of her apartment balcony at home. Proof that the best parts of a place aren’t always the ones you put on a postcard.
Her final work, the little things, holds that shift in perspective — a quiet refusal of “bigger and better”, and a return to what’s already there.
As Alysia writes in her artist statement:
“Lately, I’ve been practicing minimalism in all forms… In a world full of constant overstimulation, overconsumption, and the pursuit of ‘bigger and better’, this work reflects a practice of daily gratitude and appreciation for what we already have, and the beauty around us. Sometimes less truly is more.”
Where did this project begin for you?
“I love travelling so I took the camera with me across Australia and found that the best photos weren't the ones that were grand or seemed staged but were simply just of people walking in the park and the way the sunlight hit my apartment balcony at home.”
How did you approach making the work?
“I took out the camera whenever something caught my eye — I didn't have a super clear process for this project and I think that's what worked.”
For someone who describes herself as methodical, that looseness was kind of the point.
“My art always reflects what's going on in my personal life in that time period and gratitude being a theme in this particular work was a huge nod to my internal world.”
How would you describe your practice?
“ I’m very methodical. I start by brain-dumping ideas, then planning everything out with lists and time blocking. Once that structure is there, creating feels easier. I batch tasks — one day for content, another for sketching, another for painting. It keeps the vision clear and helps me stay focused.”
What’s inspiring you creatively right now?
“Listening to different genres of music that I don't usually listen to, and surrounding myself with more like-minded people who are not afraid to go after and achieve the things they truly want (rather than what others/society tells them to)!”
What’s next?
“the ‘elsewhere’ collection!!! It features oil paintings which resemble windows into people’s dream holiday destinations or their cultural hometown. The series explores the romance of leaving, and the emotional weight of where we come from.
This collection delves deeper into the concept of escapism, investigating its connection to our culture and homeland, dreams and aspirations of where we see ourselves, and the romanticisation of those destinations.”
Alysia’s hoping to host a solo exhibition for elsewhere in November 2026. To stay updated on her new work, follow her on Instagram @alysiatay_.
Flash. — Exhibition & Issue 03 Launch
Flash. Issue 03 One-week-only exhibition:
19 — 25 January 2026
10am to 4pm daily
Terrace Greenhouse Gallery
223 South Terrace, South Fremantle, WA
Free entry
Project See & B is dedicated to amplifying under-represented voices in the creative industry. Issue 03 was made possible thanks to the support of The Blackbird Foundation.
