Statement
The relationship between humans and nature has been one of the most prominent themes of art history and I believe it is a very important subject for artists to explore at this point in time.
Over the years I have used various techniques to explore this basic theme 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.
Most recently I am painting objects from nature – leaves, seedpods, flowers and other found items. I currently have a project on instagram where I am posting a small flower painting once a week.
Bio
Born in Wangaratta, Australia, I Studied philosophy, politics and media studies at Melbourne University and then studied Visual Art for one year at Box Hill Tafe, before getting 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.
In 2007 I relocated to Northern NSW where I became involved in the Murwillumbah Community Printmakers and the Murwillumbah Art Trail. I have studied with local artists including Hobie Porter and Rene Bolten. My work was highly commended in the Border art prize in 2013 and has been a finalist in several other prizes. I have had solo shows at CPM, NRCG and M-Arts and I am currently a studio artist at M-arts.
CONTACT: joak234@hotmail.com
CV
Education
2001 Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting) Victorian College of the Arts
Solo Exhibitions
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
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
2018 Finalist BAM Art Prize
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”
