Just months after graduating from the Queensland College of Art, ReneeKireisin the running forAustralia’smost significant prize for emerging artists.
The sculptor and installation artistisone of 24 emergingtalentsvying for theSchenbergArt Fellowship of $50,000aspart of the Hatched National Graduate Show.
Theexhibition at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art showcases the country’s best up-and-coming artistsandfeatures work across mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, textiles, sound and video.
ABachelor of FineArtgraduate, Reneewas selected by a panel of the country’s top arts professionals, including artist Dean Cross and Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory curator Clare Armitage.
“It still feels totally surreal,” she said.
“It’s such an incredible opportunity to have my work shown at a national level.”
With vibrant patternsand boldcolour,Renee’swork referencesfamousfemale artists. Her pieces aredesigned to explore gender imbalance in the art world.
Theworksselected forexhibition at Hatchedwereproduced during COVID lockdowns last yearusing timber and vintage bedsheets.
“All of this work was produced duringextended periods of working in isolation,” she said.
“I was confined to a small paletteand the materials I had on hand, which allowed me totry something new andchallenge traditional notions of sculpture.”
Queensland College of Art(QCA)Director Professor Elisabeth Findlay said Renee wasone ofmany promising artistsemergingfrom the QCA.
“We are delighted to see Renee’s work selected for this national exhibition,” she said.
“Hatched provides an opportunity for graduates to present their work in a leading contemporary art gallery alongside their peers from across the country.
“The fact that our graduates are consistently represented at Hatchedeach yearreflects the calibre of students studying at the QCA.”
Hatched: National Graduate Show will run from8 May –11 Julyat the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).
More information on supporting emerging artists at the Queensland College of Artcan be found online.