- Emily Stewart
Ribbons of light. Hollowed-out plant life. Rock inscrutable. Rock over rock. Inside weather. Outside lakes, townships. Wild pink striking against vertigo. A year shaded at the edges. Threads of harmonic colour. Clustering branches. Spectacular endings, messages, tree roots.
Naomi Bishop understands that the eye is always looking for a place to rest but that the spirit is restless. In her paintings timescales layer, matter and light splitting her objects – ritual, magical – into dimensions beginning here but arriving someplace just beyond us. These paintings have been shaped by her travels across three continents. They bring together the sheer crystalline force of Finland’s winter daylight, the damp edges of Taipei’s forests, the drama of our own dry scrub’s sandpaper heat. The paintings come alive in this way; a portal opens up between them and us. For Naomi perhaps they exist as a kind of map. For us they are a trail.1
Naomi Bishop makes work about nature, peripheral environments, and objects and symbols of paganism and ritual. The Unexplained and Unexplored are recurring themes in the work of Naomi Bishop. She interested in exploring darkness, silence, mysterious events and peripheral, other worldly places. A shared interest in both science and metaphysics, searches for the point at which they might converge and reveal secret knowledge from unseen worlds. Her work is based primarily in the areas of painting and works on paper.
Naomi Bishop has been exhibiting internationally since graduating with a Masters of Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art in London in 2003. Focused primarily on painting, internationally her work has been exhibited at The Whitechapel Gallery in London, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Fondation Hippocrene, and Galerie Nicolas Silin in Paris, Arteles Creative Centre, Finland, and The National Univeristy of Taiwan,Taipei. She has presented several solo exhibitions at Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris. In Melbourne she has presented solo exhibitions at fortyfive downstairs, Blindside, Kings, and Rubicon, and been included in curated exhibitions at
not | fair, Strange Neighbour and the Counihan Gallery.
Naomi has been a finalist in significant art prizes including the Blake Prize, The Bendigo Painting Prize, The Paul Guest Drawing Prize and Hazlehurst Works on Paper Prize. She has been included in curated exhibitions and has received grants from Creative Victoria, The Menzies Foundation, The Wellcome Trust and The Australia Council.
Naomi was Artist in Residence, at The Arteles Creative Centre in Finland in January 2014 and August 2015, and at Heritage Hill, City of Greater Dandenong and Town Hall Gallery, Hawthorn 2018. Her work has been featured in FAINT Magazine, Gallery magazine (NGV), Elle Decoration and Tèlérama (France) and Time Out and The Guardian (UK). Naomi Bishop’s work is represented in public and private collections in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and The USA.
Solo Exhibitions
2022
Subtle Realms, fortyfive downstairs, Melbourne
2018
A Constellation’s Vaporous Edge, City Library, Melbourne
The Watchers, Crowther Contemporary, Melbourne
2017
Eternal Return, Alternating Current Artspace, Melbourne
2016
Geomancy, Blindside, Melbourne
2015
Green Burial, Rubicon ARI, Melbourne
The View From Nowhere, Arteles Creative Centre, Haukijärvi, Finland
2013
Underland, Rubicon ARI, Melbourne
2008
We Are Everywhere, Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris,
2006
How to Disappear Completely, Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris
2004
Into Thin Air, Kings Artist Run Initiative, Melbourne
2002
Ice Catalogues, Great Ormond Street Hospital Gallery, London
Two Person Exhibitions
2023
Spectral Activity, Naomi Bishop and Valentina Palonen, Brunswick Temporary, Melbourne
2021
Telluric Currents, Naomi Bishop and Irene Wellm, not | fair Project Spaces, Southside House, Windsor
2016
Kaamos - Light the Dark, Naomi Bishop and Chih-Fen Tsai, The National Taiwan University Gallery, Taipei
2014
Silent Worlds, Naomi Bishop and Shyan Rahimi, Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris
Black Winter/Black Summer, Naomi Bishop and Emily Stewart, Rubicon ARI, Melbourne
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023
Fever Dreams curated by Mitchel Brannan, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
Darebin A1 Art Salon, Bundoora Homestead, Bundoora, Melbourne
2022
Paul Guest Drawing Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo
B-SIDE, Blindside, Melbourne
Hypercolour, Brunswick Temporary, Melbourne
2021
Splash Award for Contemporary Watercolour, McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin
Home/Work, Metro Tunnel Creative, Melbourne City Baths, Melbourne
Lethbridge 20,000 Award for Small Scale Art, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2020
HERE, fortyfive downstairs, Melbourne
Avanti I, Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris
Lethbridge 20,000 Prize for Small Scale Art, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2019
Toxic Cosmic, The Wandering Room, Melbourne
Friends and Family, Daine Singer, Melbourne
Graphics, AiRspace Projects, Marrickville, Sydney
The Land of Green Ghosts, Hazlehurst Arts Centre, Gymea, Sydney
Lethbridge 20,000 Prize for Small Scale Art, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2018
Thresholds, Gonzo Unit Artspace, Thessalonki, Greece
Artist in Residence Exhibition, Heritage Hill Gallery and Museum, Dandenong
Lethbridge 10,000 Prize for Small Scale Art, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2017
NOT | FAIR curated by Tony Lloyd, Sam Leach and Ashley Crawford,14 James St, Windsor, Melbourne
Lethbridge 10,000 Prize for Small Scale Art, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2016
Ensemble, Important Works from International Artists, Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris
Accrochage d’ete, Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris
2015
The Mad Minute, Rubicon ARI, Melbourne
Dark and Kooky Trash and Treasure, Strange Neighbour, Melbourne
2014
The Blake Prize, The University of New South Wales Gallery, Sydney
Gold Coast Art Prize, Gold Coast Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise
The Dreamer is Still Asleep, Strange Neighbour, Melbourne
Patternation, with Tettmann.Doust, The Carlton Club, Melbourne
Vellamo, with Tettmann.Doust, Community Project Space, Melbourne Now, National Gallery of Victoria
Black Winter Arteles Creative Centre, Haukijärvi, Finland
Rick Amor Drawing Prize, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Victoria
2010
Salon du Dessin Contemporain, Carousel du Louvre, Paris
2009
La fin d’un Monde, Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris
Hazelhurst Art Award, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Gymea, New South Wales
Salon du Dessin Contemporain, Carreau du Temple, Paris
Whitechapel Gala Exhibition, The Whitechapel Gallery, London
2008
Rimbaud/Rambo, Neon Parc, Melbourne
Salon du Dessin Contemporain , 4, Rue General Foy, Paris
2007
Premier Salon du Dessin Contemporain, 60bis avenue d’lena, Paris
Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo, Victoria
2006
Defining The Contemporary, The Whitechapel Gallery, London
Propos d’Europe V, Fondation Hippocrene, Paris
I am Somewhere Here, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin
Conrad Jupiters Art Prize, Gold Coast City Gallery, Surfers Paradise
2005
Paper Chase, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
Robert Jacks Drawing Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria
Art Fiera, Bologna, in association with James Colman Gallery, London
2004
East End Academy, The Whitechapel Gallery, London
Conrad Jupiters Art Prize, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise
Summer Exhibition, James Colman Gallery, London
2003
Masters Degree Exhibition, Chelsea College of Art, London
Exhibit, The London Institute Gallery, London
Projects
2019
Inner Space, Heritage Hill Museum and Historic Gardens, City of Greater Dandenong
Voice.Treaty.Truth. NAIDOC week exhibition and workshop series collaboration with Heather Kennedy for the City of Monash
2014
Vellamo – Naomi Bishop x Tettmann.Doust for Spring/Summer 2014-2015 collection, featured at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week
2013
Underland – Naomi Bishop x Tettmann.Doust for Autumn/Winter 2014 collection featured at Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival
Awards, Grants & Residencies
2021
Creative Victoria and Regional Arts Victoria Sustaining Creative Workers Grant
2020
Australia Council Resilience Fund Grant
Creative Victoria Sustaining Creative Artists Grant
2018
Artist in Residence, Hawthorn Arts Centre, City of Boroondara, Melbourne
Artbank Roadshow Selected Artist
Shortlisted- Georges Mora Fellowship
Artist in Residence, Heritage Hill, City of Greater Dandenong
2015
Artist in Residence, Arteles Creative Centre, Haukijärvi, Finland, August
2014
Artist in Residence, Arteles Creative Centre, Haukijärvi, Finland, January
2006
Australia Council for The Arts, New Work Grant
2005
Creative Victoria International Program Grant
2003
Goodenough College Menzies Foundation Postgraduate Bursary
Bibliography
2022
Lame, Ben and Walters, 45 Melbourne Galleries and Exhibitions to see in October, Beat Magazine, Melbourne , October 10
2020
Conyers-East, Portia, 8 days, Your one stop guide to the week ahead, The Age, Melbourne September 8
Kenney, Livia, HERE catalogue, fortyfive downstairs, Melbourne, September 1
Kennedy, Alison, Naomi Bishop, A-OK Magazine, Melbourne, April 17
Piper, Marion, The Heart of All Things, fortyfive downstairs, Melbourne, March 2
Hunt, David, Sunday Arts Magazine, Radio interview, JOY FM, Melbourne March 1
Edwards, Philippa, Arts Weekly, Radio interview 3MBS, Melbourne February 22
2019
Stewart, Emily, The Lands of Green Ghosts, Hazelhurst Gallery, Sydney, June 26
Frost, Andrew, It’s Archi time, Bell in Venice, Space Art, a living wage for artists +more, The Art Life, Sydney, May 1
2017
not | fair 5 Catalogue, Notfair Foundation Melbourne, November 7
2016
Stewart, Emily These litte spiritual boughs hid the lyric, published by Blindside Melbourne, November
Lovell, David, The Australian Religious Diary, Sydney
2014
Frost, Andrew, New Work Fridays #171, The Art Life, Sydney December 12
Gosper, Linsey, The Dreamer is Still Asleep, Strange Neighbour, August 9
Kiddell, Emily, Underland, Faint Magazine, Melbourne April 24
Coslovich, Gabriella, Fashion First For Artist Naomi Bishop, Gallery, NGV Melbourne, March 1
Sanrala, Laura, Tones of Darkness Inspire Artists, Hameenkÿron Sanomat, January 27
2013
Neo Design, Elle Decoration, Paris, November 1
2008
Boudier, Laurent, Naomi Bishop, We Are Everywhere, Telerama, October 29, November 5, 12, Paris
2006
Defining The Contemporary, Exhibition Catalogue published by Whitechapel Gallery, London, September
Propos d’Europe, Exhibition Catalogue published by Fondation Hippocrene, Paris, May
Boudier, Laurent, Naomi Bishop, Telerama, Paris, March 15
2004
East End Academy, Exhibition Catalogue Whitechapel Gallery, London, June
Bennet, Oliver, Go East Young Man, The Observer, London, June 20
Roux, Caroline, E is for Art, The Guardian, London, June 5
Collections
London
The Whitechapel Gallery
Rachel Whiteread
Paris
La Banque Postal Paris
Pierre Pradie
Nicolas Silin Paris
Editions Quatre Fleuves Paris
Other
Private Collections in The United Kingdom, France, Italy, Finland, Ireland, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan