Bonnie-Jean Whitlock is a contemporary painter from rural Southeast Gippsland, in Victoria, Australia. She currently lives and works in Melbourne/Naarm.
Recognised for her large scale paintings, surreal imagery and use of highly saturated colour; her work examines internal landscapes, queer philosophy and embodiment with a focus on concepts of layering and belonging. Bonnie has a keen interest in repurposed and recycled art materials, commonly painting over and modifying existing work; leaving edges raw, hand building frames, and working with what she has on hand. Traces of the material's past life are left evident as an acknowledgement of her ever-evolving relationship with painting and making. This method of layering and repurposing draws comparison and inspiration from the layering of experience and memory sustained within our bodies, geological layering within the stratum of the earth, and layering within history and culture.
Bonnie is a recent Master of Fine Art graduate from RMIT University (2023) and a recipient of the Evan Lowenstein Arts Management Prize.
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SOLO EXHIBITION HISTORY
2024 - SUBTERRA, West End Gallery, West Melbourne.
2022 – Dawn Chorus, Post Gallery, Brunswick
2020 - Going Home with BASKWA, Private Residence, Melbourne.
2019-2020 – Self-ô€†Ÿtitled exhibiô€†Ÿon, Daddy bar, Brunswick.
2019 - Deep sea diving, Artspace 264, Glen Huntly.
2017 - Solo feature at Meigas Spanish Restaurant, Ballarat
2016 - Self-􀆟titled exhibi􀆟on, Babushka bar, Ballarat
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
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2024 - Viscera, Sol Gallery Fitzroy, Melbourne
2024 - Symposium, Curve Abbotsford, Melbourne.
2024 – Emerge: O UT, Brunswick Street Gallery Fitzroy, Melbourne
2023 – RMIT University Graduate Exhibiô€†Ÿon, RMIT Melbourne City Campus.
2023 – Platfô€†žorm Exhibiô€†Ÿons: Out Of This World Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne.
2023 - The Cure Guerilla Gallery, Melbourne.
2022 – Compact: Small work, Group Show Alternatiô€†Ÿng Current Artspace, Windsor, Melbourne,
2022 – The Cure Guerilla Gallery, Melbourne.
2019 - Pranava Street Carnival, Ballarat.
2018 - Floating mantis, Lupine Studios, Coburg, Melbourne.
2017 - Tanglewood Music and Arts Festival, Thornton, Victoria.
2017 - Stacks on, Ceres Environmental Park, Melbourne.
2015 - Paper Made, Wakeden University, Carolina U.S.A.
2015 - Bloom- an exhibition of emerging artists. The Convent Gallery, Daylesford.
2015 - Paper Made, the Post Office Gallery, Ballarat.
2014 - EYE, exhibition of university graduates, Ballarat Mining Exchange.
2014 - Benchmark, the Post Office Gallery, Ballarat.
2012 - EYE, exhibition of university graduates, Ballarat Mining Exchange.
2012 - Benchmark, the Post Office Gallery, Ballarat.
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Art with Dis􀆟tincti􀆟on, RMIT University, (2021 - 2023)
Bachelor of Fine Art, Federa􀆟tion University (2013-2014)
Diploma of Visual Art, University of Ballarat (2011-2012)
Cer􀆟ficate 2 in Visual Arts and Contemporary Cra􀅌ft, Bombala TAFE (2009/2010)
COLLECTIONS
Federati􀆟on University Collec􀆟on
Private collec􀆟tions in Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Daylesford, Ballarat, and Dessau-Rosslau, Germany.
AWARDS
2023 – Evan Lowenstein Arts Management Award.
2012- Adrienne Guy Award.
2012- DVC acquisi􀆟on award for visual Art
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