Penny Evans is a contemporary Indigenous Australian artist who was born in 1966 in Sydney.
She lives and works in Lismore, in the Northern Rivers, NSW.
Her ancestors traditional Gamilaraay (Northern Gomeroi) homelands are to the north west of Bundjalung country in and around Garah, Mungindi, Boomi and Boggabilla.
She primarily creates ceramic pieces, but also produces mixed media artworks and films.
Her work relates and refers to her identity through a decolonising process, learning about her Aboriginal heritage and processes of colonisation/decolonisation.
The recurring designs she applies on her ceramics and her typical use of the sgraffito technique – reminiscent of the Gamilaraay / Gomeroi traditions of carving into trees, emu eggs or objects from the everyday life, as well as ground carving for ceremonial purposes, communications and storytelling – conjure up her cultural heritage and enable her to perpetuate the traditional artistic practices linked to her ancestors.
She has received several prestigious awards for her work, including the 2016 National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award “Peoples Choice” category. Her works are part of important public museum collections such as the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra), the Art Gallery of South Australia (Adelaide), and the Australian Museum (Sydney).
>> CLICK HERE TO SEE A SELECTION OF ARTWORKS
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2020 – Language of the Wounded, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2019 – Dhigaraa galgaa baa – place of many birds, JamFactory, SA
2018 – Death to a Stereotype, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2017 – YiiY: A Method to Decolonize, Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW
2014 – The AB-sorption Method, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2010 – Releasing Walka, CoFAspace Gallery Paddington Sydney, NSW
2009 – Souvenir, Barratt Galleries, Alstonville NSW
2008 – Site, Barratt Galleries, Alstonville NSW
Selected Exhibitions:
2022 – CEREMONY, 4th Indigenous Art Triennial, National Gallery, Canberra
2021 – Clay Dynasty, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
2021 – Eucalyptusdom, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
2018 – Measured Response, National Art School Darlinghurst Sydney, NSW
2018 – Badu Gili, NAIDOC 2018, Projection of work on Sails, Sydney Opera House, NSW
2018 – Death to a Stereotype, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2018 – Sensual Nature, Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, Western Australia
2017 – Balun Gilamahla – River Journey, Weaving Project, NORPA, Lismore City Hall, NSW
2017 – YiiY: A Method to Decolonize, solo show at Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW
2017 – We’re Closer Than You Think, Old Lismore Regional Gallery, Lismore NSW
2017 – Walan Yinaagirbang/Strong Women, First Draft, Sydney
2016 – Black Arts Market, Carriageworks, Sydney
2016 – Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award Exhibition, Gold Coast City Gallery, QLD
2016 – International Exhibition of Contemporary Ceramics, International Academy of Ceramics, Barcelona, Spain
2016 – Sensations: Accessing Collections, Grafton Regional Gallery
2016 – Bootheram Bundjalung, City Hall, Lismore NSW
2015 – CVIAA Exhibition, Grafton Regional Gallery
2015 – Tarnanthi Festival, Art Gallery of South Australia
2015 – Brand X, Campbell Street, Surry Hills, Sydney
2014 – The AB-Sorption Method, solo show, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2014 – Corroboree, Black Art Market, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
2014 – Tamworth Textile Triennial, Tamworth Regional Gallery, UTS Gallery Sydney
2014 – NSW Parliament Aboriginal Art Award, Parliament House Sydney
2013 – NSW Parliament Aboriginal Art Award, Parliament House Sydney
2012 – Jugul: Indigenous Artists Book Project Exhibition, Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Ballina NSW
2010 – A Spiritual Journey: Barratt Galleries, Alstonville NSW
2010 – The Hanky Project;Barratt Galleries, Alstonville NSW
2010 – Lest we Forget, Quotidian & Quixotic Gallery, Alstonville NSW
2009 – Souvenir– Solo show at the Barratt Galleries, Alstonville NSW
2009 – NSW Parliament Prize for Aboriginal Artists, Parliament House Sydney
2009 – NPWS Aboriginal Art Award, Northern Rivers Community Gallery
2009 – Lismore Regional Gallery opening of The Olley Shop, Wyrallah Ware Ceramics
2009 – Retrospect Galleries Byron Bay NSW – Launch of ‘A Special Kind of Vision’ Publication
2009 – Art of the Bundjalung Nation Exhibition, City Hall Lismore
2008 – NSW Parliament Prize for Indigenous Artists, Parliament House Sydney
2008 – NPW Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Tweed River Regional Gallery
2008 – The Year of the Apology Exhibition; Northern Rivers Community Art Gallery Ballina NSW
2008 – Barratt Galleries Alstonville NSW
2007 – Grafton Regional Gallery NPW Aboriginal Art Award
2002 – Boomalli Aboriginal Arts Cooperative Ltd “CommUnity” A Post Naidoc Exhibition Sydney
2001 – Sydney Opera House – The Studio Foyer “Freedom Ride 2001″ Exhibition
2001 – Walkabout Indigenous Art Gallery Sydney
2001 – Gondwana Indigenous Art Gallery, Alice Springs
2000 – Munich International Craft Fair Germany
1999 – Australian Craft Show Sydney
1999 – Munich International Craft Fair Germany
1998 – Australian Craft Show Sydney
1997-2001 – Gavala Aboriginal and Cultural Centre Sydney “Gamilaroi Ceramics Collection”
1997 – Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Sydney “Home Brand” Contemporary Australian Ceramics
1994-2002 – Chowk Newtown Sydney. Continuous exhibition of ceramic tableware, sculpture, drawing in Gallery attached to workshop
1994 – Craftspace Sydney
1993-1994 – Bare Gallery Newtown Sydney
1990 – Sydney College of Arts Graduate Show “Post-Partum”
Awards and Residencies:
2017 – Finalist 34th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award
2017 – Revealed, Fremantle Arts Centre, Western Australia
2016 – Winner National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Peoples Choice
2016 – Finalist Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award
2016 – Finalist 33rd Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award
2016 – Recipient Australia Council for the Arts Grant
2015 – Winner, Clarence Valley Indigenous Art Award
2013 – Recipient NSW Regional Indigenous Art Fund
2012 – Artist In Residence Bangalow Primary School, NSW (20 week residency)
2012 – Jugul, Indigenous Artists Book Project Northern Rivers Community Gallery
2010 – Artist in Residence CoFA Printmaking DepartmentPaddington Sydney
2010 – Finalist in Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Award
2009 – Encouragement Award Clarence Valley Indigenous Art Award Grafton Regional Gallery
2009 – Recipient of the Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Prize Professional Development Award
2009 – NPWS Aboriginal Art Award– Winner 1st Prize
2009 – Artist in Residence, Northern Rivers Community Gallery
2008 – Finalist Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Award
2001 – “Highly Commended” Freedom Ride 2001 Poster Competition, Studio Foyer, Sydney Opera House
Selected Collections:
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
UTS South East Aboriginal Art Collection, Sydney
Australian Museum, Sydney
Shepparton Art Museum, Victoria
Gold Coast City Gallery Ceramics Collection
Grafton Regional Gallery
Tamworth Regional Gallery
Manly Regional Gallery
PHOTO CREDITS: Penny Evans © photo Neshko Garch