AND SO THE CYCLE CONTINUES explores the conversation between influence and identity. Experiencing life through memories and cultivating a persona based on superficial notions of nostalgia, identity can be defined in the 21st century as a reflection of the enmeshing
Born in 2002, Aiko is an Australian painter of Asian diaspora, currently maintaining her practice on Wurundjeri Land of the Kulin Nations in Naarm/Melbourne. Currently enrolled in the Honours Fine Art course at RMIT School of Art, she excels in
I acknowledge, pay respect, and pay the rent to the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands on which I live and work: the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nations.
Loss of my assumptive world refers to a significant part of my grieving process, the expectation for a person to continue to be in your life and needing to adjust this assumption after their passing. I explore the changes that
Encoded Ecosystems examines the relationship between generative AI, native ecosystems, and the influence of technology on our perception of place within the natural world. In Encoded Ecosystems, lumen prints made from native plant specimens are processed through image-to-video AI generators,
The female body is judged biologically, evolutionarily and culturally for its fertility, sexuality, and aesthetics. As a young Western woman, I am shaped by this judgement, battling to find acceptance within my skin. My practice-led research project utilises crocheted soft-sculptural
SASHA’S A to Я COLLECTION: A REFLECTION ON NATIONAL IDENTITY THROUGH PRINTED IMAGES OF ICONIC SYMBOLS AND EMBLEMS. My work explores the interplay between consumerist culture and identity, examining how everyday objects detached from their practical use become moguls
ALPHA 60 AWARD WINNER VEILED REFLECTIONS – THE WARDROBE AS A LIMINAL STRUCTURE OF INTERSECTING IDENTITIES explores the healing potential of material manipulation and repetitive processes. My practice becomes a physical means of breaking down psychological barriers and confronting
This thesis explores the potential of The Muse Mandarin (TMM), a Melbourne-based cultural tour business designed for Mandarin-speaking audiences. By leveraging the founder’s expertise in event management and arts management, TMM aims to offer immersive and educational experiences at Melbourne’s
Winner: The Fullstop Framing Company Award. https://www.fullstopframing.com/ Highly Commended: ACAE Gallery. https://acaearts.com.au/ My work emerges from a process that is both instinctual and uncertain, unfolding without a clear destination. I often don’t recognise what I’ve made until the end.
WUNDERKAMMER. Dissection of the mind and matters. Eclectic. Found objects. Curiosities. Undiscovered. Line. Boundary. Trashy. Tacky. Campy. Lace. Tulips. Bugs. Moon. Sun. Bears. Fish. Hearts. Stickers. Gems. Dolls. Teeth. Contemplation. Pearls. Apologies. Locket. Keys. Ribbon. Sequins. Ornate frames. Grudge. Pink.
BEAUTY IN BODILY REALITIES: RECONTEXTUALISING THE FEMININE EXPERIENCE THROUGH EXPANDED CERAMIC PRACTICE is a studio based research project that employs an expanded ceramic practice and unconventional installation strategies to investigate an recontextualise the feminine experience. Aspects of the grotesque, beautification,
WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE is an invitation to propel this object into motion. I ask you to feel my materials and to watch them turn over, in, and around, as I have. This work is about personal symbolism, transformation
Home as Qualia: Reflections on the miniature object. My practice-led research project Home as Qualia: Reflections on the miniature object is an ode to places of memory and devotion—the home. I hand-craft miniatures, boxes, and lockets to examine how home
MISOPHONIA. (installation, performance and sound) Misphonia explores performativity; social scripting/masking, the psyche, the central nervous system and the erotic (as power/life source), through lived experience of patriarchy, trauma and (inevitably) late diagnosed neurodiversity. [(Currently), most AFAB people aren’t diagnosed until
Stardust: Ascension and the Art I Never Made. My practice-based research investigates the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) within a queer photographic and video practice to explore and amplify themes of fantasy, identity, and healing. Grounded in Deleuzian theory, which
PASS THE BUTTER is a self-portrait that unfolds across various mediums and techniques. This piece delves into the emotions I can encounter in the creative process as well as everyday life. I aim to capture how relentless my thoughts and mindset
UNRAVELLING is a textile-based work that uses both handmade and found materials to delve into the themes of women’s work, girlhood and personal history. Through weaving and patchworking, the work explores how textiles can hold memory and identity, much like
Essence of Her. Essence of Her is a series of editorial inspired images, showcasing a sophisticated and minimalist approach to fashion photography. Inspired by coastal landscapes and the ocean, the tones throughout the series are neutral and muted, emitting feelings
My art practice is closely connected to my life experiences, and this year, I focused on my relationship with my mother as a central theme. I explored the patterns of our communication and how our bond shifted due to the
UN-PACK EXPRESSION THROUGH MATERIALITY. My practice consists of expressing emotions through imagery and materiality, pent-up feelings using symbolism as such dog figures which have often seen as faithful, loyal animals. Use of facial imagery and materiality to convey depth within
Sanctuary Reimagined: Unveiling Spiritual rebirth and bicultural renewal through animism, eternalism, repetition, and layering. Sanctuary Reimagined intricately maps my transformative journey of spiritual rebirth and bi-cultural renewal through mixed-media installation. By employing a methodology of repetition, layering, and calligraphy, memories and
This practice-led research project investigates the interplay between the seen and unseen within textile art installation practice. Central to this research is the use of agave fibres and other natural materials, which reflect spiritual and ecological interconnections as they allow
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL AWARD WINNER fragments of deterioration. Betty’s work explores echoes of human presence, navigating the blurred boundaries between life and death. Her creations, influenced by ritualistic and macabre inspirations, feel like personal offerings, through various mediums:
The Grand Tour, A Contemporary Take. Solo travelling and backpacking has been a transformative experience for me. Following the isolation we all felt during the Covid years, I went backpacking through Europe during the winter break 2024. I only took
YELLOW CORRIDOR My site-specific installation practice uses the colour yellow to translate a neurodiverse experience of architectural space. Using a yellow cube as a self-portrait, I explore liminal spaces in institutional buildings to challenge formalist ideas and portray my sensorial
Photographic art. Seeking to subvert established systems, to challenge expectations and to confront ideologies. A collection of images to trigger thought and discussion. b.leideritz The photographic portraits below depict those that have been othered, by the church and/or society,
Unearthed looks at the hidden networks below the surface that create a complex, functioning ecosystem that is older than humanity. I derive my forms to represent the connections between mycelium and tree roots; these organisms infuse landscapes. My work aims
Catherine Magill is a Naarm /Melbourne-based dance artist with thirty years performance experience. Creating in the emerging moment, Catherine interweaves spontaneous, responsive movement and spoken word, with set choreography and scripted text. The work is political and poetic, addressing issues
THE MOAT AWARD WINNER CACHEXIA. A surreal exploration of the decaying body, born from the intersection of personal experience and the unsettling reality of transformation. This body of work reflects an intimate relationship with my own physical form, fusing surrealist
Celine Babet explores how a cultural lifestyle has influenced her sense of self by making works of multiple ceramic components. Through her conceptual research, she draws upon childhood memories and family relationships, which are deeply rooted in Italian culture. Babet
Between the Lines (2022-24) explores diasporic identity linked to the psychological impacts of colonialism through sculptural installation. My artworks are informed by my lived experience as a Filipino migrant struggling with colonial mentality. Relocating to Australia from the Philippines prompted
Megalo Print Studio Graduate Award MYCELIA – a venture into my past, honouring the previous versions of myself that allowed me to become the person I am today, as well as the people in my life who have shaped my
KIPPLE. Kipple pays homage to the object and its collector. This work’s nomenclature follows Philip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, where ‘kipple’ refers to the clutter of useless junk that reproduces itself when your back is
Winner: Tolarno Hotel Award. UNIFORM: Autobiographical reflections on the interplay between conformity, gender and neurodiverse thinking. Uniform explores the intricate dynamics of identity, conformity, and neurodiverse thinking within the rigid structures of the schooling experience. The work examines the complexities
Major Project 2024: Vessel/Hand of God. instagram.com/odwyer.jpeg Vessel (2024) Vessel is an exploration of the ephemeral complex of sensations to be found within person, place and partnership. This project uses bodies and spaces as sculptural tools to explore the
Winner – Koodak Award for Enamelling – Technical Excellence (presented by Koodak Jewellery Supplies) Haeng-Bok (행복 Happiness & Luck). As a fan of the K-pop group The Boyz, I aim to share the joy and happiness I have experienced
THE ISOLATED EYE. My practice is focused on the use of landscapes and the natural environments to capture isolation in places that I find myself exploring regularly. More specifically, places within nature that give me a sense of peace and
DUST PIECE. With everything packed into boxes, all that’s left is dust. instagram.com/ms.homunculus
The theme of my project is an imaginative exploration of unreal dragons: Dragon is Everywhere. The entire project reflects my ongoing exploration of materials and concepts. I focus on dragons, drawing inspiration from Chinese philosophy and the Five Elements (Wu
UNTITLED captures the idea of abstract ceramic forms that combines two textures. One with a fluid, glossy surface that reflects light and another that portrays a rough, matte texture that’s raw and organic. This creates a dynamic tension between the
Grotesque embodiments in a phenomenological probe of human desire through anatomical dismemberments and the antagonism of corporeal boundaries: A CARNAL DISSECTION
b. 1973 Naarm (Melbourne). Daniel is a photographic artist who operates under the moniker Mossy Rock Photography, which represents his love of living green things. He lives on unceded Dja Dja wurrung country within the Wombat State Forest which keeps
FRAGMENTS AND THREADS. My art journey started in earnest five years ago. My daughter had just commenced her first year at RMIT studying a Bachelor of Art (Fine Art). Seeing how much she was learning and developing her skills in
SHEARED HAIR, SHAVED HEAD. I am a sculpture artist based on Wadawurrung Country with a background in textile art. My practice interprets a language that bears trace of family linage listening to the materials as a generative process. Sheared Head, Shaved
Garland Award for Innovative Storied Object. Highly commended: Chapman and Bailey. Searching for Light, The One Tree, and the Universe in a Piece of Quartz. Debra Higgins is a multi-disciplinary artist who lives, works, and studies in Naarm/Melbourne. Her recent
Narratives Of Legacy. This series examines the evolving ways in which we view, document, and memorialise the historical figures who shaped our nation. Our nation is one that has been built on the brutality of colonisation but enriched by the
Reconstructing the vessel depicted in paintings as novel metal work objects. The act of abstracting metal iterations of vessels from paintings blurs the lines between disciplines, positioning jewellery and objects as equal to traditional art forms such as painting. The
Winner: ACAE Gallery Award. In my practice, I weave together cultural influences, memories, emotions, and the subtleties of everyday existence. Observation is an inherent and fundamental way I interact with and perceive the world, exploring the hidden beauty of my surroundings.
Diya Mathur’s practice explores the transgenerational impacts of the 1947 Partition of India on both collective and personal identities, investigating the liminal spaces where care and violence, rigidity and fluidity, and dislocation and belonging intersect. Through material metaphors, the work
My project focused on the Latrobe Valley area from which I am from. Living in a rural community your identity is tied with who you are so what happens when your community is forgotten about? The Latrobe Valley is an
Firestation Print Studio Graduate Scholarship MICROCOSM. Microcosm is a body of work investigating the patterns, convergences and linkages between life on earth. I am interested in the linkages of life and matter through coexistence, and this project is formed on
I spent the first 18 years of my life in Mparntwe/Alice Springs on beautiful Arrernte Country, surrounded by mountain ranges that glow rich red under deep blue skies. I left five years ago, and as time passes I lose more
Winner: Chapman and Bailey Award. In this series of paintings, I am thematically concerned with creating intriguing geometric compositions of figures and urban landscapes. I seek to cause the viewer’s gaze to travel across a pictorial plane, not rest in
RABBIT OUT OF A HAT: AN AMALGAMATION OF THE FEMININE UNCONSCIOUS. My unconscious. Canvas & paper & oil paint & ink. Archives. Feminist theory. Religious imagery. Obliteration. Bodies. Heart patterned underwear. Balancing Elephant. Targets and foxes and performers. instagram.com/ellasimpsonartist
Through intense and obsessive patterning, I have made pen drawings on paper that seek to depict the sublime. Conceptually engaged with the symbols that reverberate from within the Catholic Church, I have linked my matrilineal connection to the Church with
Nothing happens in a vacuum. “I believe that neurobiology can contribute to an understanding of aesthetics, but it cannot do so in a vacuum.” This quote from Siri Hustvedt’s Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women encapsulates the essence of
Megalo Print Studio Graduate Award AKIN explores the merging of printmaking and collage, alongside my investigating of different copper-plate making techniques. Print-making is a rhythmic artform, and can form multiple images from one matrix. It is a very cyclical process,
Masking tape, paper, and other bits and pieces: material exploration and jumping between tasks. Over the last year, my practice has focused on investigating and recontextualising a variety of materials – paper, masking tape, nails, canvas off-cuts, found lolly wrappers,
JOSEPH BEUYS CAFE AWARD WINNER THE MOAT AWARD WINNER ENERGY IN MOTION AND A ‘MOVING DRAWING’ – transformations of individual drawings expand into animated projections, manifesting through spatial investigations and sculptural installations. Lines and forms seemingly grow and shrink, sway
AFFINITY investigates how material expression through painting can be used to explore personal affect and relationality to the natural environment. This project contributes and sits alongside wider discussions of connection to the natural landscape and its relation to colonial extractive
Essay by Anna Kouvelas for Contextualising Practice Acknowledgment I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and pay my respects to Elders
Essay By Holly Clark-Milligan for Contextualising Practice Acknowledgement I pay my respects to the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations, Traditional Custodians of the land in Naarm (Melbourne) and wish to also acknowledge the palawa-pakana people, Traditional Custodians of lutruwita
Essay by Eugenie Gullifer-Laurie for Contextualising Practice Pain To experience ineffable pain, when it has no identifiable source and no external mark or visible causality, is almost like having hallucinated it. Pain, Elaine Scarry argues, is a form of suffering
The focus of this project continues themes I am continually drawn back to in my practice. Broadly, my practice comes from a curiosity for the human experience, and our attempts to explain it. My focus on the body as a
DREAM CATCHERS. Dreams are an essential part of the human condition, acting in the subconscious mind of every individual. Through sculpture, I aim to bring these subconscious thoughts to the forefront of one’s mind, forcing a confrontation between oneself and
I am a lonely coffee roaster. My life revolves around coffee. This is the choice made for me, but it became a choice by me. A lone choice, trading social abundance for tireless labour, running the business of my father
44 Frame Factory Graduate Award GAME GIRLS. Game Girls is a project in response to the sexism seen in the video game industry. The portrayal of the feminine characters in video games is often hypersexual or helpless, diminishing their agency
ATROPHIA (THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS) is a work that gives a voice to the lived experience of invisible disability and chronic pain. A series in which the artist is the subject, and the body is both the canvas and
Fiona Morgan is a multi-disciplinary artists based in Wudawurrung country, in regional Victoria. Morgan’s practice is focused on painting and installation, primarily concentrating on abstraction, materiality and space, employing strategies for maintaining hope and joy in an ever more anxious
Naarm /Melbourne-based arts worker, Gab Lewis applies her background in fine arts and experience in the creative industry to her emerging curatorial practice. With a focus on improving accessibility and approachability in arts and culture informing her rationale. Drawing on
My practice is greatly impacted by my experiences with undiagnosed neurodivergence, growing up queer, and grappling with mental illness. While these features of my life inflict themselves upon my work, I find myself experiencing the most joy when I focus
Winner – 2024 RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Studio Prize ALL HAIL THE GIANTS – a wooden love story for old growth forests My work is concerned with the deforestation of old growth forests in Tasmania, I am motivated by
Here With Me is an immersive installation designed as a sanctuary for conversation and connection. Amid the overwhelming negativity and isolation we often feel, this piece invites visitors to step into a space of shared warmth and tranquility. Draped in
AMULETS FOR THE EARTH: This speculative research project imagines a post-Anthropocene world where food and plant production and growth rely on human care including conservation, modification and sustainability. The research utilises printing and bookbinding on handmade paper, metalsmithing and embroidery
I Know You of Old: The Transmutation of Metal, Matter and Meaning. My practice-led research uses historical and contemporary metalsmithing techniques to find new and experimental methods to transmute copper and silver alloys into contemporary relics. The resulting relics, through
STEALING FOG is an exploration of concealment. I work in an expanded painting practice, with most of my works being concerned with the space between intelligibility and unintelligibility, working with themes of subtraction and obscurity. I often find myself following
UNTITLED is a large-scale nest-like structure that aims to provide a sensory haven of comfort and respite. By touching, holding and even crawling inside of the nest, viewers are invited to reflect on their relationships with their natural environments. This
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL AWARD WINNER At last, You Become Me. At last, I Become You (2024) Through this project, I aim to visually reflect the process of exploring personal uniqueness while encompassing both tradition and modernity. Minhwa, as
Something flickers on and Off, something is pierced through/有物一闪一灭，有物被击穿 The water in the clouds, the clouds on the wall. Silently recite the mistakes been made in the past, lost all memories when thoughts wandered. There is no time in the
This Master’s project investigates themes of labour, care and environment through public pedagogy and institutional critique. This work consists of questions and reflections that have accumulated over two years, contributing to ongoing dialogues of countless activists, artists and academics before
Untitled. Hao Zhang (2001) was born in China and currently lives in Australia. This is a journey, an Australia seen through the eyes of an outsider. There’s a lot of stories here. The strong theme is loss, but there are
AI in Museums. I have written a research essay on the current impacts and future potentials of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the museum space. As AI has been quite widespread in museums in the last couple of years. It has
sixteen years away. My digital painting series sixteen years away, draws from my experiences being an expat until adulthood and the sense of distance in growing up. Each of my paintings, focuses on the coming-of-age journey, highlighting moments of self-discovery,
Heidi Kwong is an emerging ceramic artist currently completing her Bachelor of Arts in Ceramics at RMIT. Originally from Hong Kong, she found solace in clay as respite from her corporate career, using it as a meditative practice amidst the
Garland Membership Award. UNSETTLED LIVING. My grandparents said to never buy a house near a willow tree. They said its roots weep as the branches do. Tendrils seek the pipes, entangle themselves in the foundations. Fighting blindly for life,
Huihua Gu (b.2003) is an emerging multi-disciplinary artist who focuses on painting and sculpturing. He also explores tremendous areas and ideas, always maintains curiosity, and contemplates with everything and processes. Fascinated by history and events, he shares and discusses them
CONTENT NOTE: reference to gender-based violence. This work was created on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. I’m not the first, nor am I the last. In my lineage— I’m
LANDSCAPES AND TREPIDATION. Utilising a combination of oil paint on wood and paper, my works explore the complexities of human fear through a feminist lens. My practice, through alternative mediums and eerie subject matter, explores the anxieties associated with fear
I feel at home in nature. Nature brings a desired peace to my constantly chaotic world. With this peace, I have developed a strong connection surrounding each
JACK WILLET STUDIO VISIT AWARD WINNER A SLEEPWALK FROM ME TO YOU. When sleep becomes me, I dream of walking from me to you; how the sun kisses my eyes before I can kiss your cheek; I find my waking
Print Council of Australia Graduate Award My practice explores the intersections of identity, culture, and landscape through the print medium. Inspired by the aesthetics of zines, pop culture, and historical art, my works aims to reflect the cultural narrative around
“Obscenity begins when there is no more stage […] A good illusion is a bad illusion, and a bad illusion is a good illusion” —Jean Baudrillard, Art and Artefact. My practice often plays with the associative pathways evoked by the
I make art to better understand myself and my place in the world. Belonging in the expanded field of ceramics, my practice aims to push material and process boundaries through material agency and experimentation. My current body of work uses
This practice-led research project unites my digital and non-digital artworks to build digital worlds that invite exploration and create a sense of disorientation and wonder. My digital artworks, such as my computer games, often explore ideas of narrative and sense
PAVLOV’S PIPES AND SCREWS is a photographic exploration of the pervasive and immortal nature of sex in advertising. Taking the form of a stall at a construction expo, this series provides a caricature of photographic advertising campaigns that promote a
Troppo Print Studio Graduate Award FOR YOUR PLEASURE. Throughout my creative practice, I aim to challenge the traditional conventions of art and identity, often working with unconventional materials and imagery I intend to redefine the measures of fine art.
LONGEVITY. This visual documentation captures the intimate, unseen moments of Melbourne musician Luke Joseph and his band as they embark on the intense journey of creating music. While audiences may experience the thrill of their live performances, there is a world
ON EXIT WOUNDS: A WALKING TOUR OF THINGS LEFT BEHIND (For Dawn Kelly) My practice persistently engages with concepts of the archive, and archival objects, along with explorations of intimacy. This year my research was focused on creating art and
Sticky stuff: exploring human-object relationships through found materials. This install-based project uses accumulating, arranging and documenting an excess of found everyday materials to consider human-object relationships. Through humorous and absurd gestures, I reconsider objects and images as things that actively
CNIDAGARIDEX [Mushroom Jellyfish]. This project brings into being an encyclopedic database of imagined ecology that introduces new, unusual lifeforms known as mushroom jellyfish. Inspired in part by the Pokémon game series’ creature directory, the Pokédex, and the blending together of
Jason is an established multi-disciplinary, award-winning artist with a 40-year arts practice. He is a stage designer who also creates immersive installation art. He is experienced in: Visual arts: Installation construction design and construction. Theatre & Tech: Lighting/Set Design and
Beyond the Uncertainty is a mixed-medium animation project that explores the concept of uncertainty and the experience of having those feelings, while also searching how one gets out of it. This artwork is an autobiography that centres around my personal
Jemima is a graduate of Master of Arts (Arts Management) and has hopes of running an art space called Worth Projects for emerging artists and community. Their personal practice is inspired by women and non binary folk’s experiences with how
WILD COMBINATION focuses on the act of ‘authoring’ and ready-made simulacra. Wild Combination reflects on the immateriality of memory, the arduous effort of capturing them and the difficulty and romance of remembering. Part installation, part sculpture, part confessional, part ‘screenplay’
In this work called The Beta, I use photographic prints in a contemporary line hang to explore the subject of climbing and the secrets it holds. Through this work, I aim to reveal the hidden aspects of a sport that
ICONOCLAST. This practice-led research project uses reflexive and responsive modes of observation, borrowed from the documentary photography genre, to critique the way that dominant power structures use symbolism to enforce their imperatives. I have created a large volume of photographs
A HAZY WHISPER. A Hazy Whisper is a photo book about daily life, deeply recording the details of my study and life abroad. During this journey, I was alone, facing the hustle and bustle of the city and loneliness, trying
Familiar Yet Strange. In this exploration of alienation, I delve into the complex interplay between identity and illusion, evoking a sense of disconnection that resonates deeply in our contemporary experience. The work captures a world that feels both familiar and
My practice uses performance, installation, sound, video, and digital technologies to examine the creation and perpetuation of national myths and how they lead to the formation of national identity. It explores the critical potential of failure as a tool to
Looking for Mollie uses photography to examine the legacy of taxidermied zoo animals, focusing on Mollie, a Bornean orangutan from Melbourne Zoo (1901–1923). As part of my MFA capstone, Looking for Mollie critiques the relationship between taxidermy, objectification, and cultural
In You is my Honours creative project. I journey through unseen sentiment, memory, and perception, tracing vulnerability and self-preservation woven into familial and cultural memory. This perceptual exploration unfolds within a series of artworks, engaging with quiet yet unconscious emotional
Glimpsing mourning: an encounter of loss, mourning & ecological grief. This project has grown out of the urgency I feel to address personal and ecological mourning and grief in the era of climate change, otherwise known as the Capitalocene. This
THE SOFTEST PART THAT I CANNOT SHARE WITH YOU Transformative Journey of Home, Memory and Identity My project examines
This photographic series showcases a collection of five works that arose from a dynamic collaboration with Cox Architecture, Evolva Architects, and Agius Scorpo Architects. Each piece is a deliberate transformation of three-dimensional architectural spaces into two-dimensional photographic images, spanning from
HYPHENATED SPACE. As a print-maker and mixed-media artist, my work navigates the evolving relationship between heritage and modernity, shaped by my experience of living across cultural boundaries. With a focus on themes of identity, diaspora, and the sense of being
Hello, my name is kai lazaro and i am a queer artist 🙂 In the majority of my photography, my line of work entails to convey my personal experiences in life and how my identity is shaped. i connect personally
Lost in Translation is an autoethnographic journey through the visual iconography of mid-century design and domestic space. Combining nostalgia with visual elements of uncanny disorientation, I aim to create images that appear decorative yet are charged with an underlying narrative
Reclamation of the Body is a project that seeks to give voice to the language and experience of the body through painting, asemic writing and drawing. Experimenting with sculpting, mark-making and working on large-scale surfaces whose form is continuously changing
hope fall / Exploring the destabilisation of the present moment through material poetics and installation practice. In this object-based installation, I aim to present a site of precarity and instability, drawing on conceptual ideas from New Materialism, Phenomenology and Minimalism.
NO ONE TOLD ME I WAS LIVING IN A BRUTALIST NIGHTMARE MARK II. “Cumbernauld, a land of concrete mounds interspersed with grassy knowles and nooks and crannies made for kick the can; a double nougat ice cream on a Friday
This photographic series was inspired by my previous series Ghosts from Semester 1 in 2024. In the portraits, the muse was played by some of my friends in a ghost costume. I chose for my muse to be an archetype
Winner: Wayne Conduit Award. When I watch a coming of age film, I feel seen. When I watch an action film, I feel like I can do anything. When I watch a tragedy, I feel the sadness lingering. Film
Be/Longing: Documenting the ‘invisible’ through lens-based practices. Be/Longing uses lens-based practices to document the transition into adulthood and how ‘longing’ can accompany this change. The work reflects my own transition of moving from a rural/regional upbringing to Melbourne and the
Minerals is an installation characterised by mirror-polished bronze forms, placed in harmony with large natural stones. The work aims to reconnect viewers with their inherent relationship to nature by tensioning the delicate treatment and preciousness of bronze, against the solidity,
‘This shelter is always open, this shelter is always ready to receive, this shelter offers you the most precious gift.’ Kepsibel’s creative practice is characterised by a repetitive and ritualistic engagement with the material world. Unbound by a commitment to
Hold A Flower in the Palm of Your Hand Hold A Flower in the Palm of Your Hand blossomed out of a Buddhist phrase, “One Flower, One World” and fractal geometry, indicating the structural resemblance between microcosm and macrocosm. To the
Kirra Jeram (Pronouns: She/They) is a digital photographer from Naarm/Melbourne, Australia who specialises in portraiture with a kitsch, nostalgic and colourful aesthetic that sometimes tackles more darker concepts surrounding mental and physical illness. Kirra graduated in 2018 with their Bachelors
Family is everything to me, so exploring how we are connected and what relates us was something that interested me greatly. By creating an image of each member of my large family, I was able to create a family tree
Winner – 2024 RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Technology Prize (presented by Australian Jewellers Supplies) Lachlan Vasic is a Naarm/Melbourne-based artist, forming sculptures and objects through his practice of gold and silversmithing. He is inspired by day-to-day urban landscapes and
Fragments of Identity: Exploring Identity, Migration, and Memory through Ceramics and Printmaking. My Master’s project explores the intricate relationship between personal identity, migration, and memory through the mediums of printmaking, ceramics, and collage. Drawing inspiration from my journey as a
Winner – 2024 RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Studio Prize Laura de Carteret is a French-Australian artist based in Melbourne, Australia. They started glass blowing in 2021 through the Ruth Allen Glass traineeship program and since then have incorporated glass
Technician’s / Studio Karma Graduate Award My practice is informed by research and concept and is constantly evolving as I lean into different modes of making, depending on my project. Currently, I am working with sculpture, installation, and print media
SONG OF SOULS is a photography and audio-visual project that proposes hope for our collective souls to overcome despair over our fractious society. A hope for repair and re-balance. In my search for the collective soul I find hints in
Redrafting Reality: Exploring Architectures through Memory and Fantasy In this project I explore the interplay of reality and imagination, combining strict architectural norms with fanciful elements. Inspired by my family’s experience of migration and their memories, I create works that
Winner – 2024 RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Studio Prize Since 2020, Letitia has shown abroad, with her work exhibited in group shows at OCAD University in Canada, Dunedin School of Art in New Zealand, and another group show curated
So you know, I’m all yours… represents a devotion of love without shame, a dedication of my entire self to the interplay of queer love and sports. So you know, I’m all yours… is a love letter left unsent, a
Revolting. My name is Lillian Catriona Flügge. I am a silversmith in training studying BA Gold & Silversmithing here at RMIT. In my final work, the Revolting series pays tribute to the music and fashion subcultures that have shaped me.
This project aims to explore, through research and photography, the impact of the male gaze on women’s self-perception within patriarchal social structures, with a particular focus on Asian societies. In patriarchal societies, male-dominated industries (e.g., advertising, film, and fashion) disseminate
Lize Myburgh aims to capture that moment when the dust settles and the silence sets in—a moment of quiet devastation where the damage of flooding is still fresh and the weight of recovery feels overwhelming. For her Bachelor of Fine
FAMILIAR FACES. This linocut wallpaper will turn any room into a vibrant, artistic setting with its vibrant colours and captivating faces. The dynamic faces and the palette’s cheerful vitality infuse a space with personality, making it feel both artistic and
Lucy Ramsay (she/her) is a contemporary mixed-media artist originally from Ngunnawal country (Canberra) and living and practicing in Narrm/Melbourne. Graduating at RMIT from her Bachelor of Fine Art, she majored in printmaking with a specific interest in etching and textiles.
ISQUARED GALLERY EXHIBITION AWARD WINNER ALLEGORICAL AND INNATE GESTURES OF THE HAND is engaged with intuitive modes of making and the symbolic possibility of images. I explore ideas with a multi-disciplinary approach. This encompasses drawing, painting, collage and fabric
MY QUEER BODY: SELF-ACCEPTANCE AND HEALING THROUGH AN INTERSECTIONAL LENS. This activist practice-led research project explores my Chinese-Australian, queer and non-binary positionality and the psychosocial impact of physical scrutinisation and the expectation to conform to beauty standards, heteronormativity, and the
Madelyn McKenzie is a ceramic artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her work is inspired by the decorative arts, traditions in particular Victorian-era wrought iron. She uses paperclay to create her structures and challenges traditional ceramic hand-forming techniques. Madelyn’s feminist perspective informs
Everchanging and Ephemeral: Exploration of phenomenological experiences in nature. In my practice, I’m interested in the study of phenomenology. I’m especially drawn to expressing my experiences in natural environments. I grew up in a small town on the South Coast
Maryam Attar is an Iranian-born visual artist based in Melbourne, Australia, specialising in immersive installation art. Her practice focuses on painting and installation, with a primary emphasis on creating immersive spaces that explore themes of feminism and activism. Maryam earned
The border official scrutinises your passport photo, comparing it with precision to your face. The thumping stamp signifies validation, a moment where image and reality converge. Governments around the world use images to affirm identities, often relying on snapshots taken
LOST LANDS FOUND. Lost Lands Found is a long-form documentary project aimed at deepening my understanding of the Stonnington Council’s initiatives regarding these vital landscapes. My journey began last year when I encountered the Lost Lands Found installation by Dean
Garland Membership Award. Fugitive memories: I’ve watched you my whole life, now I see you. ‘The fragments re-emphasise subjectivity, due to their apparent incompleteness. Fragmented, the self is able to appear and disappear. Fragmentation mirrors the way we experience the
Substantial and Significant is a multimedia installation, involving a combination of performance, projection and sculpture made from found materials associated with the domestic. The work addresses the complexities of family separation and the Family Court system. For this work the
The flow of desires and obligations. My Master’s project explores the multitude of layers concerning diaspora identity and socio-cultural hybridity through multimedia projection painting. Drawing influence from the shojo genre, I experiment with the blending of Chinese painting aesthetics with
I use polymer clay and metal combined with each other. Soft polymer clay is wrapped on the stable form of metal, or polymer clay is squeezed into the space of metal, and finally the polymer clay is hardened by heating
Print Council of Australia Graduate Award Michelle is a Melbourne based artist, specialising in printmaking, photography and alternative practices.Her work is deeply influenced by her experiences of traumatic memory. Michelle’s work is a profound exploration of her life experiences,
This body of work captures a former player for the Australian national football team, as he returns to his roots to take on the role of head coach for his childhood club. Through a documentary-style approach, the photography project follows
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL AWARD WINNER Reframing perception. As a proud Italian Aboriginal from the Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta people, I enforce change in the art world by reframing the perception of Aboriginal art. My acrylic paintings are my
‘where water and earth resonate; ජල තරංගා’ is inspired by Sri Lankan clay jugs that store water. This interaction between materials infuses the water with an earthy taste and scent. The inspiration for the work emerged from a childhood memory,
The Un-gendered Object: An exploration of abjection and identity through art practice. “Human perception of the body is so acute and knowledgeable that the smallest hint of a body can trigger recognition.” —Jenny Saville (Gagosian, n.d.). Molly Baker (b.2001) is
Nocturnal Flux: Discovering Dimensions of Night. This project explores my changed way of looking and feeling at night through partially deconstructed, shifting, painted representations. My work explores my fascination with the experience of night spaces and the ranging aesthetic and
Beyond the Canvas My art is abstract Neurographica, which seeks to depict subjective reality by documenting an experience of the present moment. This abstraction helps me navigate thoughts to experience an embodied state of being. It is a process-driven
THE INK GROWS LESS, THE SEA INCREASES. This practice-led research project engages with longing, magical realism, sensation poetry, and word-to-image translation to explore how the alchemy of word and image has the capacity to generate worlds; revealing how the intimate
Although my work reflects the day-to-day experience of having a mental health issue (MHI), it is more than this. My artworks seek to represent elements on the continuum of human subjectivity to create a commonality between myself as artist, and
UNVEILING DREAMSCAPES: Messages of the Subconscious & Unconscious – Examining through Pencil Gestures. This project explores symbolism and meaning of my dreams interpretation with art-making, aiming to explore the symbolism and meaning of my dreams through visual representations. By using
HIGHLY COMMENDED I went to the Underworld and when I came back Someone else came back with me I heard the wind whispering in them Where dreams have no end My practice is involved with syntax,
Vở ô ly (2024-ongoing) As filmmaker Bạch Đăng Tùng writes:‘’Việt Nam’, written in my mother tongue, is made up of two different words: ‘Nam’ and ‘Việt’. Separated—a chasm between them. Then came the English spelling: ‘Vietnam.’ Never mind the loss of
Echoes of Color. My work explores the subtle ways in which color affects human emotion and perception through the unique lustre and texture of enamel. The texture of enamel mimics the delicacy of porcelain and the lustre of gemstones, bridging
Artist Li Qi expresses the specific context of an individual’s life by connecting her personal body perception with the objects in her life. She uses common objects in her life as her connection to the world and combines them to
Winner – Koodak Award for Highest Academic Achievement (presented by Koodak Jewellery Supplies) The Whispers of Nature. When we feel saddened or troubled by the breath of life, we can open our eyes to discover the healing beauty around
AN INBETWEENNESS OF TIME reflects that great feeling of loss, where time seemingly slips through our fingers. These ceramic sculptures reflect on the things we lose to time, and that grasping plea we hold within ourselves to make things, people
My artistic practice centers on printmaking, focusing on artist books and sculptural art objects inspired by the natural world and the dynamics of human-animal relationships. This project is inspired by my pet python, Plantbeetle, and the negative reactions I often
On losing oneself, or the breaking and healing of the soul. There is memory in every fragment. A fragment of paper, a fragment of history. Pieces of myself left behind, gifted to every place, every person. There is grounding
PRASASTI KELUARGA, translated as ‘Family Inscription,’ is part of my journey to explore, relearn, reclaim, and reinterpret my Javanese culture and heritage. As a nomadic Javanese, I often feel detached from the core of my cultural identity. My family and I hail
The Creator’s Guide to Comics Devices (also known as the Comics Devices Library is an online archive of visual-narrative devices that are specific to the medium of comics, furnished with definitions and examples by contributors. It is a practical, accessible
As an avid sports enthusiast, I have found that the essence of sport lies not only in the thrill of competition but in the vibrant communities it nurtures. Each experience—filled with excitement, joy, and even pain—has reinforced my sense of
Separating the Heavens and Earth investigates the basic elements that impress on us visually: pattern, shape, colour, story, and within all these things, balance. Printmaking as a medium creates images through what is taken away and what is left, making
DOMESTIC FETISH explores the interconnections of fetish identity and day-to-day life. This project challenges notions of fetish being confined to the limits of the bedroom, instead embracing ideas of ever present facets of queer identity and expression. Through the process of
Rose is a multi-disciplinary artist, presently focusing on handmade and self-designed jewellery installations. As an individual of Australia’s large South Asian diaspora, Rose explores her experience being raised within the Northern Rivers (NSW) community as an young Indian immigrant. Documenting
Winner – Emily Hope Award for Figurative Work (donor Professor AD Hope Endowment) Growing up on the Mornington Peninsula, I have always had a close relationship with nature; the ocean has long instilled a sense of wonder and contemplation.
Artbox Commission Graduate Award The Assembly Line is a series of figurative monotype prints on fabric, wrapped around handmade frames. The figures within are Australians and Afghans, farmers, soldiers, mothers and ravers. Through its diverse portraits, The Assembly Line depicts the
My project, (Un)filtered Acts, explores the paradoxical tension between smoking as both a symbol of rebellion and an abject, harmful reality. My feminist-oriented practice has long involved exploring the human body, now extending to a deep interest in smoking culture.
My artistic work began with an ache – an absence shaped by distance and the subtle weight of diaspora. Living away from home, I felt an underlying urge to adapt, blend, and reshape myself to fit in. Yet, through this
Australian Print Workshop Residency Award WHAT A RELIEF. The phrase ‘chook scratches’ sometimes refers to ‘untidy, organic marks’. What a Relief is a humorous response to three years of printmaking studies. I have created layered photographic etchings using images from
Mirror examines representations of the self and consciousness across temporal dimensions, questioning how a moving image installation can facilitate a dialogue between past and present versions of the self. The work employs a series of looping video sequences on multiple screens,
BRITTLE AND TRANSPARENT LIKE GLASS contemplates my mixed Japanese and Anglo-Australian heritage, exploring the abstract space that exists between these two cultures. Navigating this duality, I confront the intricate emotions of shame and pride tied to my cultural identity, often
DEMETER’S LAMENT. Demeter’s Lament is a sculptural composition of entwined material energy from deep ecological time reconstructed into an offering for the post-industrial age, where Ontology and the Anthropocene intertwine in an alchemical expression of materiality. Drawing from Greek mythology,
621 ARTSPACE EXHIBITION AWARD WINNER Suggestion. Records of emotion by Sean Leegel.
HIGHLY COMMENDED MOMENTS CALLING ACROSS AN EMPTY ROOM. A teacher once told me in a drawing class, that people are obsessed with time: “You ask someone if they’d like a cup of Tea, and they check their watch first.” This
My studio work in this exhibition focuses on the grid and how it can be used to recreate an image, both accurately and abstractly. Using the grid as a method for tracing an image onto a different scale and surface
Learning Through Unlearning: The abandonment of Ideas and Embracing Process-Based Painting My work is guided by my interest in deepening the connection of the artist to medium relationship, investigating possibilities that are presented to me through intuitive methods. With a
Sunshine Print Artspace Graduate Award Reflections of Light in Time is formed through the combination of traditional copper plate etching and experimental photographic techniques. This work stemmed from viewing reflections of car brake lights on a wet road; this fleeting
Devices of Desire. This research project explores desire as a human experience through the context of arcade machines and vending machines. Inspired by the fascination and curiosity I experienced during my upbringing in Hong Kong, the project investigates the captivating
Through the series Dream States, Sofya investigates the relationship between dreams and reality, as well as mental and physical states. She uses distortion and exaggeration of colour and proportion, in combination with contrast between vivid and clear, and hazy and
My practice takes up space, it exhausts itself emotionally, and tears its own heart out. Obsessions and emotions are pinned down temporarily or cut up and recreated. It is a way of finding my voice and looking back before moving
From embroidering the earth’s mantle to embodying the earth’s core: a note to the spinner. While it is wedged often in discomfort, it, like us, is the product of stellar aspirations; one of a time long ago. I rest here
Offcuts and Fragments is a series of assemblages exploring the beauty found in remnants, including the leftover metal material found by me around my space and in the shared studio spaces. This material often goes unnoticed in creative processes. The
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.” –Georgia O’Keeffe. My painting series, Thoughtful Chaos, delves into the joyful physicality of painting, embracing spontaneity and instinct
ONCE MY FLOWERS FELL INTO THE OCEAN. An exploration of lost connections to the maternal and biophilic, a project of stories and solace. Through Victorian botanical language, I narrate the resurgence of my maternal line from patrilineal control. Complex surfaces
Artist Bio Sun Wai Wise Yeung Yeung was born in China, grew up in Hong Kong and is studying in Melbourne. Yeung is a contemporary artist who combines wheel-throwing, carving and the ceramic process to create sculpture and functional pottery.
QUIET CURIOSITIES: EXPLORING PERSONAL REVERIE THROUGH COLLECTED ASSEMBLAGE AND PARALLEL PAINTING. My art practice combines assemblage and painting – transforming overlooked materials, found objects and personal artefacts into a visual language that evokes curiosity and wonder. The paraphernalia of everyday
COMING ONTO ME: AWAY FROM ME. I want to write you a love letter. This project considers desire, and discomfort. ‘Often it is the desire between us and the object of desire that fills the space in between with
MOTHER IN BRAILLE. My Honours project explores how sculpture, installation and personal symbolism can address intimate family bonds, strong feelings and things that are difficult to say with language alone. My project seeks to pay homage to my mother, and
BLIND FAITH. Walk through the desert for 1000 miles. Feel the steps of your body as you do, the shift of your clothes as they brush against your body. Your truest protection against the beating sun that betrays no cardinal
Dressed investigates the intersection of fashion photography and youth desire, framing it within a Lacanian psychoanalytic context. It explores how fashion photography serves as a medium for expressing and shaping identities, driven by the concept of the ‘desire of the
Tanya Cubric (b.1991 Montréal) is a multidisciplinary artist from the Balkan-Diaspora currently working and living in Melbourne. As someone who has lived in a number of different countries, her practice is very much entangled around her experience of living under
‘Sew, what’s wrong with you?’ is a large-scale soft sculpture installation work, using humour and the Pop Art style to engage with topics of pain, disability and medical spaces in a light-hearted way. I am a multi-disciplinary artist working in
This Masters project, through small-scale graphite drawings, explores the intersection of public and private personas through the elevation of mundane moments. By carefully rendering scenes from everyday life based on snapshot photography, I highlight the vulnerability and sincerity that emerge
MY MUM IS A WITCH. My mum is a witch and I hope she escapes if it’s not too late. In the morning she glares from her perch. She cannot move until she’s finished her Earl Grey tea. After school
Timo Walters is a sculptural artist whose work explores the imaginative potential to reconstruct human subjectivities and narratives by investigating the interconnectedness of things. As humans become increasingly connected and knowledgeable, the absurdities of our interpretations of reality are brought
Becoming Her is a fashion photography series that captures the nuanced journey of growing up as a girl in a culture with expectations and contradictions. Through three distinct themes of body image, societal labeling, and consumer pressures the series brings
THE FUTURE IS FICKLE: A FALSE PROMISE. Vittoria Cugno (b.2001) is an emerging Melbourne-based artist who specialises in oil figurative paintings. Her Honours research project formed as a dedication to the early passing of her father. She learned that our
Winner: Trocadero Art Space Exhibition Award. http://www.trocaderoartspace.com.au/ Highly Commended: ACAE Gallery. https://acaearts.com.au/ I lift my heart with my hands into the night sky, Hanging it on the crescent moon. The heart feels soft and fluffy, almost weightless. Looking down, I
My research is related to memory, and I collected many memories and images from my childhood and recollections. My collection reveals around ‘dreamcore’ and desserts from my childhood, the millennial generation, there were very many drink and dessert shops, and
A mass of cloud: Unveiling the self through intuition and painting. “I often don’t know how to express my thoughts and feelings in words.” “I often strive for perfection, both in myself and in my artwork.” “When confronted with highly
DUAL IDENTITY. The Language of Materials: Memory and Identity in Contemporary Art examines the interplay between identity and cultural heritage by exploring different materials and cultural collective experiences. Ya Juan’s experience incorporating contemporary techniques through her creation of large-scale oil
My artistic practice focuses on ceramic sculpture, embodying the complementary relationship between logical thought and intuitive making. The works record the traces of my gestures and movements, reflecting the dynamic and ongoing dialogue between myself and the clay. This process
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TITLE OF CAPSTONE PROJECT IN BOLD ALL CAPS followed by abstract/statement. One or two paragraphs are sufficient. Be aware that the first part of your text will appear in the grid of previews on program pages. Lorem ipsum dolor sit
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The project is a mixed-media installation documenting the passage of time and space, particularly during the journey from home to Australia. This was inspired by a moment during a car trip when everything familiar seemed to regress ten years. Through
Highly Commended ACAE Gallery. Highly Commended Tolarno Award. _________________________________ The Unseen Energy. “Non-be-ing (wu) is the beginning of the heavenly and the earthly; 無名天地之始 Be-ing (you) is the mother of all myriad things. 有名萬物之母” My creative exploration delves into the
CURATORIAL PROPOSAL AND RESEARCH ON THE ‘INVISIBLE LABOUR’ OF ARTISTS. Invisible labour is a defining characteristic of the identity, process and practice of artists. Invisible labour attaches itself to current artistic work with the distorted perception of autonomy, flexibility and
The inspiration for this project comes from my previous work, where I began to explore the relationship between light and shadow in urban settings. This project seeks to delve deeper into that exploration, focusing on the concept that ‘Shadows exist
Driven by Passion: The Audi Sport Owners Yearbook This project, Driven by Passion: The Audi Sport Owners Yearbook, is a hardcopy, full-color publication capturing the unique stories and experiences of dedicated Audi Sport owners. By combining high-quality photography and personalised
I have been constantly running away, fearing the gaze of others. So, I became anyone, and anyone became me. My work explores themes of escape and anonymity, reflecting a journey shaped by the fear of being truly seen. I use
GLITCH ART AS A PROTEST: Zina Sofer’s multifaceted approach to art and storytelling highlights the importance of representing marginalised voices and preserving forgotten narratives. By using a diverse array of mediums—including analogue photography, traditional darkroom techniques, weaving, photo-books, digital innovations,
My monster friends. Everyone has childhood memories in their hearts, and those innocent times are like candies with different flavors that accompany us as we grow. When I was a child, my vivid imagination enabled me to frequently transform the
NOT AT HOME. Moving into a new house and leaving your childhood home is a confusing and unsettling time. I wanted to capture the relationship I am making with a new space. My family has lived in our previous house
