Sydneysiders — and those planning a trip to the harbour city — can get their cultural kicks IRL again, with most major NSW cultural institutions back in action. And, with Sydney home to so many galleries, museums and art spaces, there's no shortage of arty events to add to your calendar. One to bookmark for the warmer months: A retrospective exhibition on multidisciplinary artist Lindy Lee that's taking over leading contemporary gallery MCA Australia. Titled Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop, it is the most comprehensive exhibition by the artist to date — and it's opening on Friday, October 2.

The celebrated Australian Chinese artist has a practice spanning over four decades and works in everything from painting to sculpture. Her Chinese ancestry underpins much of her art; Lee's works are inspired by Daoism and Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism philosophies and she often examines the connection between humanity and nature. From flinging molten bronze and burning paper to allowing ink to spill and rain to transform surfaces, Lee's process is varied, experimental and inquisitive.

Expect more than 70 works, including huge installations, vibrant wax paintings and metallic structures — and rarely seen works from the artist's personal collection. You'll also spy a few new commissions, one of which will be proudly exhibited on the museum's outdoor forecourt. To mark the exhibition's launch, Lee will be giving a talk on her art practice on Wednesday, October 7, which you can catch in person or live stream from home.

Destination NSW

MCA Australia's exhibition Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop launches on Friday, October 2. The gallery is currently open 10am–5pm Tuesday–Sunday, with COVID-19 measures in place. Entry is free and unticketed. 

Top images: Lindy Lee, 'No Up, No Down, I Am the Ten Thousand Things' (1995/2020), courtesy of the artist and Sutton Gallery, Melbourne; Lindy Lee, 'The Silence of Painters' (1989), Museum of Contemporary Art, gift of Loti Smorgon AO and Victor Smorgon AC; Lindy Lee, 'Exploding Suns' (2019), installation view, photography by Ng Wu Gang; Lindy Lee, 'Book of Kuan-yin' (2002), courtesy the artist and Sutton Gallery, Melbourne; and Lindy Lee, 'Untitled (After Jan Van Eyck)' (1988), collection of The University of Queensland, gift of Mary Dwyer in memory of Paul Dane Tilley.

For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.