Justine Wahlin is a multidisciplinary artist and musician working with the visual mediums of painting, print making, sculpture, animation, photography, film and tapestry.
She exhibits and performs regularly and coninuously pushes the boundaries artistically.
Justine has written countless songs along the way, living most of life immersed in the poetic nuances of life's ups and downs.
From a gypsyesque childhood with a musical father and long line of artists on her mother’s side including her uncle, the renouned Artist Justin O’Brien, music and art are etched deeply into the blueprint and offer many forms of expression with which to bear witness to the every day things just out of sight or ordinary things just beyond our understanding .
Like a locksmith with many keys Justine has opened multiple doors that have deepened her visual arts practice and enabled her create her original heartfelt folk songs.
Flying the nest in her late teens, her gateway instrument into a musical life was the bass. After her formative years playing in bands through the 90’s and early 2000’s and with a deep pulse that endures, Justine is now at the centre of her own stage with a swathe of deeply emotive and lyrical tales pieced together with unique songwriting and a captivating voice.
Justine has emerged a songwriter and performer with a lot to offer among the poets and misfits. Her live shows have been described as “mesmerising” Karl Broadie and “Like listening to an old record, only live” Zvonko Jovicic.
Her most recent album released in 2019 “A Pair of Dreamers” recorded at Red Shelf Records is a delicately and beautifully crafted work gently weaving its way around people’s hearts and fast becoming a favourite for those who have been lucky enough to hear it.
“A Lovely Record” William Bowden (William Bowden Mastering)
“Do yourself a Favour” Paul Gough (RN, 2ser, ABC Radio, PimPod)
Her debut EP, a raw and heart felt live recording “Conversation with Crows’ was followed by “A Long Way From Home”, an ambitious studio album which took out the Anthony Lycenco best Roots Album Award at the Nimbin roots Festival ARMAs in 2017.
Over the last 10 years Justine has produced an impressive body of work. With an ever inquiring mind, her music has accompanied a deep dive into multimedia art forms as she has, and continues, to explore many forms of artistic expression. She has a small swag of short films and music videos under her belt, some accompany her own songs and she has made films for other artists too.
Justine continues to experiment with different approaches to songwriting and producing her own studio recordings with the aim of releasing a self produced album in the near future.
Justine also writes and performs as one third of CloudBird, a trio in which poetry and folk collide with a foot tapping road trip sing a long's entwining guitars, harmonies, girl boy, yin yang, north south, land sea…throw in a bit of psychedelic dub and you start to get the full picture.
CloudBird released their anticipated debut album in late 2021, a rollicking album available on vinyl.
More recently you’ll also find her behind the drums with Sydney beatnik/folk outfit, the Suburban Bukowskis
While Justine pursues her various musical projects there is nothing she loves more than stripping it all back to perform solo, honouring the origin and true sentiment of her unique voice and story telling.