EMMA VAN LEEST
BIOGRAPHY & CV
In the work of Emma van Leest, art and life come very close together. This is not only due to the demands of the art of paper cutting, which require long hours of application to a technically demanding craft. On one hand incredibly delicate, on the other extremely repetitive, it is an art form based on a skill which develops as a form of devotion as much as the result of discipline.
During a residency in India, van Leest witnessed the craft of paper cutting as a devotional act, where the repetitive actions of art making are seen as a prayerful ritual. Similar experiences have confirmed her sense of the alchemical nature of this art form, where the hand-made aspect of the work is the driving ingredient that transforms everyday materials into something precious and of value.
Like much that is innovative in current art practice, this work reclaims and reinterprets traditional art forms in a way that transcends and transforms old sensibilities. It engages us anew with the power of the creative process.
Education
2000
Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) (Honours), RMIT University, Melbourne
1999
Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) RMIT University, Melbourne
Solo Exhibitions
2010
Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
John Buckley Gallery, Melbourne
2009
Before the first rain, John Buckley Gallery, Melbourne
2008
Converging, installation at Little Salon during State of Design Festival, Melbourne
2007
Wintergarden, Fracture Gallery, Federation Square, Melbourne
Wayfaring, John Buckley Gallery, Melbourne
2006
A homage to a private place, First Draft Inc, Sydney
A barn for a goddess and other tales, Westspace, Melbourne
2005
The things you do for love, Bus Gallery, Melbourne
December Saints, Seventh Gallery Inc, Melbourne
2004
Recent works, Little Salon, Fitzroy
Recent works, Body, St Kilda East
2003
Recent works, Body, St Kilda East
144 grids (a piece of ivory), Red Gallery, North Fitzroy
Untitled installation, Early Space, Fitzroy
Untitled installation, Experimental Art Space, Melbourne University Student Union, Melbourne
Group Exhibitions
2009
Winter show, Despard Gallery, Hobart
Studio show, Kings Artist Run Initiative, Melbourne
2008
Splenda, Michael Koro Gallery, Melbourne
One’s own obstacles, installation during Open Studio Event, Sanskriti Kendra, New Delhi, India
The new Victorians, University of Sydney, Sydney
Paper-cut, 24HRArt Northern Territory Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin
2007
To Be Confirmed …, Art, Design and Craft Biennial 2007
QUT Art Museum, Brisbane
Severance, Ryan Renshaw Gallery, Brisbane
Royal Rumble 2, Kings Artist Run Initiative, Melbourne
2006
Christmas Collectors Exhibition, John Buckley Gallery, Melbourne
ABN AMRO Emerging Artist Prize, ABN AMRO, Melbourne
Behind the Scenes at the Museum, Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne
Lexicon, Exhibition Space at Melbourne City Library, Melbourne
Selekta
2006
West Space, Melbourne
Snapshot: Inaugural Exhibition, John Buckley Fine Art, Richmond
Postscript, RMIT Project Space, Carlton
2005
It’s all about us, Arts Victoria, Southbank
2004
Exploration 5, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
Explorations in paper (collaboration with Claire Best), Level 11 Gallery, Melbourne
2003
Leisureland, Red Gallery, North Fitzroy
Open studio events (June and December), The Blender Studios, Melbourne
2001
Emerging artists program, Bulle Galleries, Melbourne
2000
RMIT painting honours graduate show, Span Galleries, Melbourne
1999
RMIT painting graduate show, RMIT University, Melbourne
Collections
Price Waterhouse Coopers, Ballarat Gallery, Private collections in Australia, United States, Indonesia and New Zealand
Grants & Commissions
2008
Sanksriti Kendra, New Delhi, India
2007
Skills and Arts Development, Australia Council
Australia Cultural Fund
Federation Square
2005
New work, Australia Council
2003
Melbourne University Student Union
Bibliography
Lee Tran Lam, The incredible paper art of Emma van Leest, Inside Out Blog, 2009
Ramona Barry and Rebecca Jobson, We make stuff, Craft Victoria, Melbourne, 2009
Jemima Kemp, Eyeline No 68, 2009, New Victorians, Celebrations of the grotesque; the new sublime in Australian contemporary practice
Perfect Paper, Page One Publishing, Singapore, 2009
I T Post, China, October 2008
Vogue Living Australia November 2007, Bright young things
Megan Backhouse, The Age, Saturday 20 January 2007, In galleries, it’s show time
Simon Gregg, In Trouble, December 2006/January 2007, Melburnin’
Pamela Mei-Leng See, Craft Australia website, July 2006, Cutting in: Comparing Sino-Australian paper-cutting practice
Freya Lombardo, Monument, Issue 68 2005, Hot Young Designers 2005
Simon Gregg, Artlink, Volume 25 No 3 2005, December Saints