The Roots of a Painter Born in Camden, Australia, Mitch Cairns grew up in the suburbs of Casula and Wollongong. His early years were shaped by the physical reality of labor, working alongside his father, a bricklayer, while pursuing his studies at the National Art School. This connection to manual work and the tactile nature of building provides a grounded perspective to his later life as a painter. During his time at the school, he al…