Wendy Whiteley

Who is Wendy Whiteley?

Wendy Susan Whiteley OAM is best known as the "goddess muse" and wife of the artist Brett Whiteley, and as the mother of their daughter, the actress Arkie Whiteley. She has become a notable cultural figure, particularly since her ex-husband's death in 1992. She posed for Brett many times, and his work was strongly influenced by her opinions. Although they divorced three years before he died, she has control of Brett Whiteley's estate including the copyright to his works, and she honoured his memory in the establishment of the Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills, Sydney, which is now owned and managed as an art museum by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Wendy Whiteley is also known for the restoration and landscaping of a derelict public area in Lavender Bay, Sydney, which she turned into a "magic garden" and where Brett and Arkie Whiteley's ashes are buried.