Artist. Author. Director
Emma Magenta was born in Sydney and began her career drawing and writing her thoughts down on brown paper bags while working at Berkelouw Books in Paddington. After pinning them to the front window, they accrued a cult status and a publishing deal was offered to her by Australian publishing phenomenon; Bradley Trevor Grieve. Photo by Ona Janzen.

Since then, she has written and illustrated several adult picture books; The Peril of Magnificent Love, A Gorgeous Sense of Hope, The Origin of Lament and The Gradual Demise of Phillipa Finch. These books explore aspects of the feminine psyche, one’s emotional world and the secret life of relationships. Her first book, The Peril of Magnificent Love was awarded by The Australian Book Association and nominated for the prestigious Reuben Award by The National Cartoonist Society in The U.S.A. She also wrote and illustrated her first children’s book, Orlando on a Thursday and illustrated Toni Collette’s first children’s book, Planet Yawn.

Magenta created, wrote and directed an animation series produced by Hopscotch Films and The ABC titled The Gradual Demise of Phillipa Finch. Narrated by Toni Collette, the series debuted to rave reviews and is the first multi-platform project (inter-active website, iPhone game, illustrated graphic novel and animation). The series was nominated for SXSW Award in the U.S and has been involved in a series of Film Festivals around the globe and was the central theme of Magenta’s TEDx talk at Canberra TEDx 2011.

In 2016, Emma was selected by Adelaide film Festival HIVE FUND to create, write and direct her first short film to be produced by SEE PICTURES titled Remembering Agatha. This film premiered at Adelaide Film Festival in 2017. The film was also nominated for Best Australian Short film by the AACTA in conjunction with International Film Festival, Flickerfest 2018. It also screened on ABC television in February 2018.

Emma Magenta is also a much-loved and prolific exhibiting artist whose work is in numerous collections around the world. She is currently represented by Hat Hill Gallery in Blackheath and is also a part of the MTNS MADE Collective in The Blue Mountains.
She is also a performance artist/athlete and has studied the art form of Capoeira since 1998. In 2004, she featured as the Capoeira performer in the video piece Woolloomooloo Nights by ground-breaking video artist Shaun Gladwell as well as in his video piece Stereo Sequences.

Emma Magenta has lived in Medlow Bath in The Blue Mountains since 2013.