Lauren Kennedy, born in 1988, finds her inspiration in the everyday rhythms and nuances of rural life in Midwest WA, where she currently lives and works. She graduated with a BA in Visual Arts and Textiles from Edith Cowan University in 2012, laying the foundations for her art career.
Immersed in the painting process, Lauren's art practice celebrates her profound connection to place. She employs fluid, gestural marks that dance across her canvases, inviting the untamed elements of the outdoors to influence her work. Through this symbiotic relationship with her surroundings, Lauren explores a deeper understanding of her environment, infusing her work with a palpable energy that transcends her control.
Lauren has been a finalist in prestigious art prizes such as The National Emerging Art Prize in NSW, The Royal Art Prize for Landscape, The Midwest Art Prize, and the Melville Art Prize. In 2023, she was honoured as the overall winner of the 'Heart of The Bush' National Art Prize in QLD.
Lauren's paintings are characterised by her sensitive observation and intuitive mark-making. They unveil her emotional connection to remote landscapes in Western Australia, where she strives to capture moments in time.
CV
EDUCATION
BA Contemporary Arts; Double Major: Visual Arts & Textiles,
Edith Cowan University, Geraldton 2007-2008
Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley, Perth, WA, 2008-2012.
WORKSHOPS & RESIDENCIES
24-29/6/2024 Pilbara Field Trip with Professional artists, Shanti Gelmi, Samantha Denison, Rachel Williams, Anita Phillips and Carly Lecerf
7-14/8/2023 Pilbara Field Trip with Professional artists, Jessica Howard from ‘The Bush Journal’, Samantha Denison, Rachel Williams, Anita Phillips and Carly Lecerf.
3-9/7/2022 Macdonnell Ranges Field Trip with Professional artists, Sophie Perez, Julie Beresford, Carly Lecerf, Sarah Macdonald, Anita Phillips, Jessica Holiday, Kym Mullen, Annie Bierzynski and Amanda Fuller, Accompanied Adventures, NT
5-11/5/2022 Soul Traders Retreat with Professional Photographer Bo Wong & Writer Aimee Snoek, Newfarm, Denmark, WA
20-25/3/2022 Australian Landscape Artists, Virtual Art Residency, @australian.landscape.artists, Online
28/2/2021 ‘Natural Pigment and Paint’ Workshop with Helen Coleman, Contemporary Art Spaces, Mandurah, WA
7/10/2020 Mono-printing workshop with Andy Quilty, Art Gallery of WA, Perth, WA
31/01/2020 ‘Australian Flora’ Workshop with Jane Tangey, Stackwood Studios, Fremantle, WA
2016 Art History & Critique, 6-week course, Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle, WA
EXHIBITIONS
21/10/2023 Group Exhibition, ‘Painting B-Side’, Studio Nyistor Gallery, Melville, WA
14/10/2023 Group Exhibition, ‘Dirt’, Stala Contemporary, Perth WA
7/10/2023 Group Exhibition, ‘Beat of The Land’, CSC Gallery, Flinders, VIC
7/10/2023 Finalist, Rural Australian Female Landscape Painters Exhibition, ‘Art Station’, Grazier Magazine x Michael Reid, Murrurundi, NSW
20/1/2023 Overall Winner, ‘Heart of The Bush’, National Art Prize, Goondawindi, QLD
3/11/2022 Solo Exhibition ‘Slow Dance’ Doghouse Gallery, South Fremantle, WA
28/10/2022 Finalist, Melville Art Prize, Wireless Hill Museum, Perth WA
18/7/2022 Finalist, Cossack Art Prize, Town of Cossack, WA
30/6/2022 Finalist, Kalgoorlie Boulder’s Regional Art Prize, Kalgoorlie, WA
14/6/2022 Group Exhibition & Fundraiser, ‘The Grey Matter Soiree’ Hillaries, WA
24/5/2022 Group Exhibition & Fundraiser, Incognito Art Show, Sydney, NSW
21/05/2022 Group Exhibition ‘Visual Conversations’, Nyisztor Gallery, WA
2/4/2022 Group Fundraiser, ‘Art for Floods, ’Virtual Exhibition, Online
27/11/2021 Finalist, Midwest Art Prize, Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, WA
20/11/2021 Group Exhibition, The Gerald Hotel, Geraldton, WA
12/11/2021 Group Exhibition & Fundraiser, Arte Ricca, Mosman Park, WA
5/11/2021 Finalist, National Emerging Art Prize, Michael Reid, Sydney, NSW.
29/10/2021 Solo Exhibition, ‘Awe & Angst’ Sometimes Gallery, South Fremantle, WA
3/9/2021 Solo Exhibition with Fervor Food, Outdoor Dining Experience, Kalbarri Skywalk, WA
1/8/2021 Group Exhibition, Paper Mountain 10th Birthday, Northbridge, WA
20/7/2021 Finalist, Cossack Art Awards, Town of Cossack, WA
17/06/2021 Finalist, Lethbridge Small Scale Art Award, Lethbridge, VIC
14/05/2021 Group Exhibition & Fundraiser, Incognito Art Show, Sydney, NSW
6/12/2020 Virtual Group Exhibition ‘My Place’, Australian Landscape Painters, Online
20/11/2020 Joint Exhibition, ‘Pindan Toes’, with Gabrielle Scott (objects) South Fremantle, WA
10/01/2020 Live Painting & Exhibition for Zebra Creative, Raine Square, Perth, WA
COMMUNITY
30/4/2024-Current Lecturer, Develop Painting Skills, Central Tafe, WA
11/4/2024 Artist Panel Talk with Wren Richards and Julie Barrett at Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, WA
7/10/2023 Artist Interview, Hosted by Victoria Carey, Editor of Graziher Magazine, with Artists Lori Pensini and Sarah Macdonald, Michael Reid, Murrurundi, NSW
28/6/2023-3/8/2023 Host Life Drawing, Wednesday Evenings, Bob’s Boutique Bar, Geraldton, WA
15/6/2023 Incursion Day Workshop, Nagle Secondary College, Geraldton, WA
14/2/2022 Host of ‘The Art of Letting Go’ Workshop and Sound with Luna Sagrada, Swanbourne, WA
2020 Host of Joey Pouch Sewing for Victoria Bushfires, Stackwood, Fremantle, WA
2020 Host of Life Drawing for Mothers with a Creche, North Fremantle, WA
2019 Host Art Class, Sacred Heart School Students, Beagle Bay, WA
2017 Art Therapy Assistant Volunteer, Hollywood Hospital, Nedlands, WA
2017 Art Therapy Assistant Volunteer, MSWA, Wilson, WA
2016 Host of Experimental Mark Making Workshop, Mandurah Art Centre, WA