In partnership with Hisense

Painting has been a perpetual force in the life of artist Daimon Downey – and he’s always been one to follow his desires. Whether drawn to Italian designer sofas, women in Issey Miyake, or swigging milk straight from the carton, he never sees much reason to resist temptation.

The best advice you’ve ever been given?

My Dad is a great man. He always framed things not in catchphrases but as a general notion that there are no mistakes – just a process of finding out what you’re after. The first step is the only thing stopping you from greatness, so just take the bloody step.

In your fridge, you’ll always find?

Milk! I love it, straight from the bottle, full cream, glug glug glug. All day, every day. I will smash two litres in a day. Oh, and the ingredients for a Red Flag: half Mezcal half Montenegro on ice with orange wedge… be careful.

Nostalgic scent and why?

Jazz by YSL was my weapon of choice as a 16-year-old, hot-blooded boy and if I came across a young lass sporting Issey Miyake, then the worlds would collide and dreams would come true.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

It was very clear from quite young that art – and painting in particular – was a force I could concentrate on. I spent a lot of time painting birds, copying Miró paintings and generally loving the arts. There was immense support from my parents all the way through that allowed me to leave school at 16 and get accepted to do a Fine Arts degree in Brisbane. That gave me confidence to know that this could be a career. The world from then on has been nothing but loud music and amazing colours.

Share your life mantra/words you live by?

“If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence you have won before you have started.” It was from a beginning of some hip-hop album I had when I was 16 and it has stuck with me so, there you go… good advice can come from stranger places.

Where was the best meal of your life?

Every Sunday night at home growing up was an epic family roast. All the trimmings. We would run in from whatever tree or local scrub we were playing in and gather around the table to devour this mountain of deliciousness. I also have a great memory of my first Vongole at Da Adolfo on the Amalfi: wet shorts, no shoes and a touch sunburnt.

What’s on your bedside table?

We are just here trying to survive – we have a three- and four-year-old, so all surfaces at that level remain the property of our children. So: a pink bunny, a night bottle and some books we know off by heart. We once believed the children would never ruin our home aesthetic of maximalism and great things... lol.

Item that you are most coveting?

An Ian Fairweather painting. It’s not just a picture, it’s an object. The place it was painted, the hands that painted it and the thing it was painted on. You can see and feel at the same time – almost like a cave painting. It’s as honest as it gets in the modern world.

An indulgence you would never forgo?

An Arflex couch. When I bought it, it cost a ludicrous amount, but I sit on it every day in the studio; in fact, I’m on it right now.

What book do you gift to your friends?

Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings. It blows my mind that most have never heard of her.

Your last supper?

Zinger with bacon and cheese. Shut up, you want one right now.

Train or plane?

I’m in for the romance, so the train is rare but preferred.

Favourite City?

Rome! That place just before sunrise is fucking dreamy. Only deliveries of produce and the local business owners chatter on the street. No queue to flip a coin into fountains. Little holes in the wall selling a panini or a spritz if you need it. No traffic, no tourists, and perfect lighting. And the night before getting to that hour is one of the best nights you have ever had.

Favourite restaurant in the world?

Sean’s Panorama –live, love, local! (Okay, I’ll swap my Zinger for Sean’s roast chicken as my last supper.)

If you were not an artist, what would you be doing?

Another ‘Slash’ (from Guns n Roses). I would add a flamenco guitarist too. But mostly I’m doing what I love so hard one to imagine another life

What is the last object you acquired that gave you great pleasure?

My new Hisense UR9s RGB MiniLED TV. It blew my mind, unlocking my imagination and what I can create on it. I’ve always created work that’s expressive, layered, and emotionally driven, so seeing my vivid colour translated through the screen is wild. I’m now obsessed with creating digital art.

Favourite family vacation?

Byron Bay and surrounding areas have a profound influence on what I like. As a kid, we spent a lot of time there on most holidays, and long weekends. Now, as a parent, we have offered the same to our kids. Even now, as time gets its claws into something, Byron Bay still holds onto its beautiful purpose.

Who is your hero?

Everyone doing the right thing for humanity and Jimmy Barnes.

The most played song on your playlist currently?

Temptation (2019 Remastered) by New Order, Far out it’s hot in the kitchen, loud, over and over. Can’t get enough.

What was the first thing you bought with your own money?

Masters of the Universe… greatest figurines of all time.