Bio
Janine Whitling – Visual Artist
artist statement
For as long as I can remember Art has been a way for me to express myself in a way that was joyous. It allowed me the freedom to be playful, serious, light, documentary, brave, or whatever else I wished to express at any given moment. Nothing about that has changed since then, but today the work I produce is influenced by my own ongoing personal development. Who I am and how I fit into tho the world are some of the questions I have searched for answers to. And so I’ve spent years peeling back the masks that I have constructed based on ideals and beliefs that in fact were not truly me, but that I’d adopted based on what I’d been told by another person or by society. This unfolds into art works that incorporate philosophy on our origins of existence, belonging within society and the ever eternal quest for self-identity. Currently I prefer the mediums of paper, ink and acrylic, but I also understand that my own practice is ever changing in response to my own personal development, and am excited about the possibilities of new mediums and new forms of dialogue. Life is about love and for me art is most importantly about expressing from my heart and letting that come through each and every piece of artwork I create.biography
Janine was born in Beirut Lebanon, and with little memory of her early years she moved to Melbourne Australia at the age of 4. Living in the suburbs of Doncaster, life as an immigrant was difficult and at times traumatic. She was compelled to reject her heritage in order to fit in with her new surroundings, and as with most people in similar positions, spent the next 30 years trying to find who she was. This important environment allowed her the opportunity to look inward to find this answer rather than focus on external sources to define herself. It has also allowed her to find that people are the same no matter what sex they are, what land they come from, or what beliefs they have been instilled with. Janine graduated from the Southern School of Natural Medicine as a Naturopath in 1997 but after many years found that her heart wasn’t in working in naturopathy. In 2001 she moved to regional Mackay and it was there that she returned to her love of Art. In art she could express from her soul. In Art she felt at peace. In Art she felt the gentleness of life. In 2009 Janine completed her Masters of Contemporary Art through the University of Tasmania’s School of Visual and Performing Arts and it has since paved her way into the beautiful world of art in her daily life. qualifications 2009 Master of Contemporary Art, University of Tasmania, Australia 1997 Diploma of Applied Science (Naturopathy), Southern School of Natural Medicine, Melbourne, Australia
prizes
2011 International Florence Biennale 4th Place “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Award 2010 59th Blake Prize Finalistsolo exhibitions
2012 Veils of Illusion, Artspace Mackay Regional Gallery, Mackay, Qld 2010 Origins, DWP Gallery, Peel Street, Mackay, Qldgroup exhibitions
2011 International Florence Biennale, Fortezza de Basso, Florence, Italy 2011 Subject Matters, Artspace, Mackay, Qld 2011 Kurilpa Antics, Kurilpa Hall, West End, Qld2011 Think Tank, Academy Gallery, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 2010 Touring Blake Prize, Australia October 2010 to September 2011 2010 The 59th Blake Prize, National Art School, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010 Art On Show, Mackay Show Association, Mackay, Qld
2009 Subject Matters, Artspace, Mackay, Qld
2009 Best Friends, Academy Gallery, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania
2009 Bounce, Academy Gallery, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania
media articles
2012 The Westender Newspaper, http://www.westender.com.au/news/1270 2010 The Daily Mercury, Sep 252010, Mackay Woman Named finalist in Blake Prize, Page 32. 2010 City Life Magazine, November 2010, Art Appreciation, Page 22.
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