On 31 January, a large crowd gathered at a former coffee warehouse in the inner western Sydney suburb of Marrickville for the opening of COMA‘s new flagship space, a gallery spanning 490 square metres and touted as one of the largest commercial galleries in the city.
While eccentric collectors, industry peers, stylish artists and well-behaved doggy companions mingled over free wine (human consumption only), the quiet, yet profoundly expressive paintings of Melbourne-born Santa Fe-based Justin Williams took on another quality.
This opening exhibition, Waiting for Lavender, dives into family history at a time when Williams’ daughter, Lavender, was born, drawing out threads of tenderness, love and migration. Simultaneously, paintings like I’m Waiting With I Found Them All (2024) and All the Objects in the World Won’t Make That Phone Ring (2024) place viewers in a quirky and flamboyant setting, much like the suburb in which the gallery is now situated.
COMA’s move away from its former Chippendale and Darlinghurst locations (both gallery hubs of the city) is strategic, and instead of fearing the tyranny of distance (Marrickville is around a 20-minute drive from the CBD), the gallery is confident it will be a destination worth visiting. Along with the main exhibition space is a private viewing room at ground level, and upstairs on-site storage.
It’s reminiscent of the warehouse-style galleries of Los Angeles and the LA connection runs deep for COMA. The gallery will make its debut at Felix Art Fair in February – the only Australian representation at the event – and LA gallery Roberts Projects hosted a major solo of Williams early last year. It’s fair to say that COMA and Williams have grown hand in hand, making Waiting for Lavender a homecoming of sorts with works that live up to the occasion.

COMA’s neighbourhood, Marrickville, is one of those suburbs towards which the art-appreciating crowd already gravitate, with its fill of indie breweries, natural wine bars, farmers’ markets, diverse eateries and a recently acquired ‘Purple Flag’ status for vibrant and safe night life. Another commercial gallery, Syrup Contemporary, opened not far from COMA in April 2024, and the suburb also houses a handful of private art studios.
With the suburb’s $1.5 billion build-to-rent development on the radar, COMA seems well-positioned to ride the wave of boosted traffic and consumption. And yet, commercial galleries these days need to appeal to more than just the high-end contemporary art market in order to survive.
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Apart from strengthening the local landscape, right from its inception in 2016 COMA has set its sights on artists with international potential. In an earlier interview with ArtsHub, founder and director Sotiris Sotiriou said, “Australia needs to view itself as simply another country working internationally, as opposed to a far-off destination.”
On the occasion of COMA’s new home, he now adds, “COMA is dedicated to reshaping how international museums, galleries and collectors view Australian artists, and ensuring Australian art receives the global recognition it deserves. We strive to showcase and introduce renowned international artists to the Australian market, but also to connect them with local collectors.”
The gallery’s 2025 program includes the fourth solo exhibition of Melbourne-born Los Angeles-based artist Nick Modrzewski, followed by the first Australian exhibition of Mexican sculptor Jose Dávila since his inclusion in the 22nd Biennale of Sydney in 2020. COMA will also present a booth with First Nations artist Puuni Brown Nungarrayi and South Korean artist Jane Yang D’Haene at the upcoming Melbourne Art Fair, while tapping into Asia with participation in Art Basel Hong Kong in March and returning to Taipei Dangdai in May.