Concetta Antico

Venerated globally as ‘The Color Queen’, Concetta Antico is a master oil painter and the world’s first artist with scientifically confirmed tetrachromacy – a rare genetic gift allowing her to see up to 100 million colours.

Originally from Sydney, Concetta resided in California for over three decades, creating prolifically, selling over 1000 original works, and teaching more 25,000 students the joy of oil painting. Now residing in Byron Bay, Concetta is establishing her opus – a studio, gallery, school and retreat on Tooraloo, the heritage farm she’s been restoring since 2013.

Her distinct style is known for an Impressionist lean and unexpected use of colour, influenced by her ability to pick up hues and contrasts where others don’t. Her subjects are wide-ranging, but fauna (including her signature peacocks) flowers, earthscapes and noctures are recurring themes, allowing her to express her heightened perception of the world’s natural beauty. All paintings are completed in a single sitting, no matter how many hours it takes.

Concetta also paints and restores vintage furniture (winning “Best Use of Textiles” at the American Society of Interior Designers Excellence Awards, 2012) and is a colour consultant and art school mentor, helping other artists and businesses embrace the power of colour or set up galleries and art programs of their own.