
Growing up on the edges of Australian suburban sprawl, I have always been fascinated with how we relate to the natural world. Over the years I have used various techniques to explore this relationship including installation and assemblage, but my practice has mainly involved painting. I appreciate the meditative observational nature of this medium. Painting allows the time and space to develop a type of intimacy with the subject that yields great rewards. Painting also leaves a lot of room for interpretation and it is the meeting of pure observation with the inner life and conditioning of the art maker that I find the most interesting.
I have been painting botanical forms from nature for quite some time. In the last four or five years my practice came to focus mainly on Banksia plants and flowers, which culminated with “Floral Appreciation”, an exhibition at the Tweed Regional Gallery in 2019, exploring the potential of the Banksia as a symbol for contemporary femininity. (The video below depicts and give more information on this show.)
More recently I have focused on Banksia varieties local to Northern NSW and South East Queensland where I live. As these are mainly found on the coast it became a natural step to include their coastal surroundings in the paintings. Initially this took the form of ocean glimpses through the banksia leaves, but then expanded to include broader coastal landscapes, other types of coastal folliage and the ocean itself as a main subject.
My work is strongly influence by contemporary ideas about the natural world and our relationship with it. Many contemporary theorists, scientists and artists ascribe more sentience to natural entity’s like plants and bodies of water than has been done previously. The importance of the non-human is acknowledged and valued more these days as the essential value of all life becomes more obvious. In my work I search for ways to consider natural elements like plants and the ocean more like important entities with their own agency. They are protagonists in my paintings.
Bio
Born in Wangaratta, Australia, I studied Visual Art for one year at Box Hill Tafe, before gaining entry into The Victorian College of the Arts and completing a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting). Highlights from this time include being a finalist in the Wallara traveling art prize, winner of the Stella Dilger Award and receiving a special mention in the Victorian Campus art prize.
I then continued informal art education in Tokyo for 2 years getting well acquainted with traditional and contemporary Japanese aesthetics and approaches. My work at this time focused on urban corners and natures impact on cultural forms.
In 2007 I relocated to Northern NSW where I became involved in the Murwillumbah Community Printmakers and the Murwillumbah Art Trail. I continued my painting study with renowned local artists, and have exhibited widely in group and solo exhibitions. My work was highly commended in the Border art prize in 2013 and has been a finalist in several other prizes. In 2020 I had a successful solo exhibition at the Tweed Regional Art Gallery and Margaret Olley centre.
I am currently represented by Anthea Polson Art and have a Solo Exhibition ‘Wild Coast’ in October 2022
CONTACT: joak234@hotmail.com
CV
Education
2001 Bachelor of Fine Art, Painting Victorian College of the Arts
1994 Associate Diploma of Fine Art (1st year) Boxhill Tafe
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Wild Coast, Anthea Polson Art, Gold Coast
2020 Floral Appreciation Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley
Centre, Murwillumbah
2018 An exhibition of four local Artists M-Arts – Murwillumbah
2017 Nature Portraits Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Ballina (October)
2009 Human Natures CPM Gallery, Murwillumbah
2006 Unrennovation Red Gallery, Contemporary Art Space,
Nth Fitzroy, Melbourne
Group Exhibitions
2021 Bloom Weswal Gallery, Tamworth 2020
2020. Ordinary Love, The Field ARI @ M|arts, Murwillumbah
2020. Hello Again, Lennox Art Collective, Lennox Head
2019 Facade, Tweed Regional Gallery, Downtown, Murwillumbah
2019 . In situ, M-arts, Murwillumbah
2018 . Metamorphosis, M-Arts, Murwillumbah
2018 An exhibition of four local Artists M-Arts – Murwillumbah
2018 Regenerate | Murwillumbah Art Trail – Murwillumbah
2017 The Flower Show M-Arts, Murwillumbah
2016 Botanicus Murwillumbah Art Trail, Murwillumbah
2015 Arts Northern Rivers Pop-up Tweed, Murwillumbah
2015 Murwillumbah Art Trail Prospero Street Pop – up
2009 Soft Landing Murwillumbah Community Printmakers Gallery
2008 The Door Snake Project Platform Artist Group. Degraves St Subway,
Melbourne.
2006 Nicholas: The life of a Building, Blindside Artist Run Space,
Nicolas Buiding, Melbourne
2005 Inaugral exhibition Pigment Gallery, Nicholas Building, Melbourne
2001 Graduate Exhibition, Victorian College of the Arts, Southbank
2001 Wallara Travelling Scholarship, Finalists exhibition.
V.C.A. Gallery, Southbank
2001 Sources and Resources V.C.A. Student Gallery, Southbank
2000 For real, V.C.A Student Gallery, Southbank.
1999 Fringe Festival Architecture Launch, “City Consumptions Pty Ltd
Preformance/Installation. North Melbourne Town Hall,
North Melbourne.
1999 Site Specific, “80” Installation, Langridge Street Collingwood.
1997 “Matters”, Solo Painting show at ‘Gluttony’.Collingwood.
Awards
2020 Finalist BAM Art Prize, Northern NSW
2019 Finalist Lethbridge 20000 Art Award,
2018 Finalist BAM Art Prize, Byron Bay
2018. Finalist Gallery 7 Art Prize
2017 Finalist 30 x 30 Art Prize. Art Piece Gallery
2015 Finalist Border Art Prize. Tweed Regional Gallery
2013 Highly Commended, Border Art Prize
2001 Stella Dilger Award. V.C.A.
2001 Finalist Wallara Travelling Scholarship
2000 Special Mention, “Victorian Campus Art Prize”