SideFX 2026 Presents " The Art of FX " Panel Discussion and Q&A
Description
The SideFX Group Art FXhibition, an art exhibition which showcases the personal and professional work of Australia's practical makeup and creature effects artists for film and television, announces the second in it’s series of “The Art OF FX” Panel Discussion and Q&A. With makeup artist, Mariel McClorey hosting, join us as we delve into the "art" of special effects makeup and creature design with special guests: Adam Johansen, Damian Martin, Colin Ware and Emma Bartik as they share insights, tell stories and answer questions about their craft. Don't miss out on this chance to connect with fellow enthusiasts and industry leaders while being surrounded by the amazing artwork of close to 40 of Australia's film and television practical effects artists. Whether you're working in the field, a student or just wanting to get a window into the world of practical effects, this event is sure to entertain, inform, engage and inspire.
After the discussion, stay and enjoy the gallery and the fantastic personal and professional artwork submitted by the amazingly talented group of artists working in the field today. These include special makeup effects artists, prop makers, specialty costumers, animatronic engineers, painters, creature designers, technicians and crafts people with work including sculpture, paintings, scale models, casts, props, miniatures and dioramas. While some work is personal, there will also be work on display used in film and television productions.
Both the exhibition and the discussion are FREE and open to the public, however there will be limited available seats for the panel discussion so make sure to reserve yours here today!
MOTHERSHIP STUDIOS
18-22 Sydney St. Marrickville NSW 2204
SideFX Group FXhibition opening night: Friday 20th Nov. 6-9PM
Exhibition continues Sat. & Sun. 12:30 - 5:00PM
Panel Discussion "The Art of FX" Sat. 21st Nov. 11AM-12:30PM
Lineup

Mariel McClorey (Host)
Originally from Long Island, New York, and now based in Sydney, Mariel has strong fine-arts background and has worked professionally in film, TV, fashion, and theatre since 2005 with credits including: Furiosa, Nine Perfect Strangers, Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings, Wyrmwood: Apocalypse, Thor: Love and Thunder, Nekrotronic, Thor:Ragnarok, Cleverman season 1 and 2 (ABC tv), Hacksaw Ridge, Mad Max Fury Road, Wyrmwood:Road of the Dead, The Wolverine, Unbroken, I, Frankenstein and more.

Adam Johansen
Adam Johansen is a co-director of the Academy Award & BAFTA winning prosthetic and creature effects company ODD STUDIO. He, along with co-director Damian Martin, run their internationally renowned shop in Sydney, Australia. He has an amazing body of work, which exceeds 30 years and includes some of the biggest films and television shows in the business. His latest credits as prosthetic & creature designer and supervisor include Spaceballs 2, Kockroach, Voltron, Extraction 3, Insidious 6- Out Of The Further, The Fox, Supermax and won a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for the creature effects work on Evil Dead Rise. Other prosthetic designer & supervisor credits include Thor: Love and Thunder, Pirates Of The Caribbean 5 –Dead Men Tell No Tales, Extraction1 & 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Thrash and Wolf Like Me season 1 & 2 creature effects supervisor on Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant, Penguin Bloom, Possum and speciality suit designer for The Invisible Man. Other film credits include Mad Max; Fury Rd, Star Wars - Revenge Of The Sith, Farscape, Wolverine, The Matrix, Babe Pig in the City and Where the Wild Things Are.

Damian Martin
Damian Martin is an acclaimed Australian special effects artist, prosthetic designer, and co-founder of Odd Studio, a world-renowned creative effects company based in Sydney. With over three decades of experience in the film and television industry, Martin has been instrumental in bringing to life some of the most iconic characters and creatures in modern cinema. Martin began his career in the early 1990s including work on the science fiction television series Farscape, where he met his future business partner, Adam Johansen. The duo’s shared passion for creature effects and prosthetics led them to establish Odd Studio in 2003. Since its inception, Odd Studio has become a leader in practical in camera effects, specialising in prosthetic makeup, animatronics, creature effects, and character design. Throughout his career, Martin has contributed to a plethora of high-profile projects, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Alien: Covenant, Thor: Love and Thunder, Evil Dead Rise, Extraction 1 & 2 and The Invisible Man. His exceptional work on Mad Max: Fury Road earned him both an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and commitment to practical effects, Martin continues to push the boundaries of special effects artistry. His contributions have not only elevated the visual storytelling of numerous films but have also inspired a new generation of artists in the field.

Colin Ware
Colin is a veteran makeup effects, creature effects and digital look-development artist whose professional career spans more than three and a half decades. From the workshops of Manchester and London in the late 1980s to the major international productions of the present day, Colin Ware’s career reflects the evolution of the makeup-effects industry itself. He belongs to a generation of artists who learned through direct, hands-on experimentation with clay, gelatin, silicone, foam, moulds and paint, while subsequently embracing digital sculpting, modelling and look development. More than thirty-five years into his career, Colin continues to work across the boundaries between artist, craftsman, inventor and designer—bringing together practical knowledge and digital technology to create characters, creatures and images for the screen. His credits include Saving Private Ryan, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Prometheus, Gods of Egypt, Alien: Covenant and, most recently, Spaceballs: The New One. A significant part of Colin’s legacy is his contribution to the development of modern encapsulated prosthetic techniques. His experimentation began with Cap Plastic and gelatin and formed part of the wider evolution of techniques that ultimately led toward the encapsulated silicone prosthetic systems now commonplace in the industry. Colin’s collaboration with Adam Johansen and Damian Martin, which began in 1998 has continued for more than two decades and through the development of Odd Studio, where Colin has worked since 2018. His work with the company has encompassed practical creatures, prosthetics, fabrication, sculpting, digital effects and look development across major international productions.

Emma Bartik
Emma has more than 15 years' experience working in the film industry as a makeup and special effects artist across film, advertising and beauty. and is a Sydney-based ceramic artist, curator and founder of Voluptuary Ceramics. Working from her Marrickville studio and shopfront, she creates bold, sculptural ceramics and produces immersive exhibitions and collaborative art projects, including The Grocery Store and The Garden.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity

