anna dunnill
b. Hereford, UK, 1988.
Lives and works Naarm/Melbourne, so-called Australia, on unceded Wurundjeri land.
Education
2019 Master of Fine Art (Visual Art), with High Distinction, University of Melbourne, VIC
2017 Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours - First Class), University of Melbourne, VIC
2013 Bachelor of Humanities (Creative Writing), with High Distinction, Curtin University, WA
2008 Advanced Dip. of Visual Art and Craft, Central Institute of Technology (now North Metro TAFE), WA
Grants, Awards and Residencies
2024 Winner – Kate Derum Award, Kate Derum & Irene Davies International Tapestry Awards (non-acquisitive)
2024 Bundanon Artist Residency, Bundanon, NSW
2022 City of Merri-Bek Flourish Arts Grant (for Side Gate exhibitions: Itineraries of Escape and A Portal to Where)
2021 Australia Council Arts Project Grant
2021 Creative Victoria Creative Works Grant (for Processing Plant)
2020 Artist residency, Study Brunswick, VIC
2020 Artist residency, BLINDSIDE, VIC
2020 Artist residency, Plant Craft Cottage, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, VIC
2019 Majlis Encouragement Award, Faculty of Fine Arts & Music, University of Melbourne
2019 John and Mary Kerley Studio Research Travelling Scholarship, University of Melbourne
2019 Artist residency, Kingston Arts Centre, VIC
2016 Artist residency, Australian Tapestry Workshop, VIC
2016 WA Department of Culture & Arts Development Grant
2014 WA Department of Culture & Arts Young People & Arts Development Grant (Snapcat)
Solo and Two-Person Exhibitions
2024 Weaving Lessons, with Chelsea Farquhar, TCB Art Inc, Melbourne VIC
2023 Things to Think Through, with Chelsea Farquhar, Post Office Projects, Adelaide SA
2022 Processing Plant, West Space Window, VIC
2019 New prayers for old feelings, Front/Space, Kansas City, Missouri USA
2019 Crafty Queers, with Nicholas Smith, Kingston Arts, VIC
2018 A kind of collective breathing, FELTspace, SA
2018 Skin Rituals, BLINDSIDE, VIC
2017 To pierce, to puncture, Verge Gallery, University of Sydney, NSW, curated by Rachel Ciesla
2016 Lead Me to the Holy Mountain, Garden Shed Gallery, VIC
2015 Skin Envelope, free range gallery, WA
2013 Notes Toward a Universal Language, Paper Mountain, WA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Kate Derum + Irene Davies International Tapestry Awards, Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne VIC
2024 Opening, Retractable Art Space, Melbourne VIC
2023 REAL JOB, curated by Madeleine Thornton-Smith, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne VIC
2022 A Plant in the Wrong Place, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne VIC (curator and exhibiting artist)
2022 Text Tile, curated by Tia Ansell, Anna Fiedler and Madeleine Simm, CAVES, Melbourne VIC
2021 Hundreds & Thousands, Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle WA
2021 Notions of Care, curated by Nina Mulhall and Kathryne Honey, Bus Projects, Melbourne VIC (toured to Swan Hill Regional Gallery and Ararat TAMA, both VIC, 2022 and 2023)
2020 By a thread, May Space, Sydney NSW
2018 Fresh!, Craft Victoria, Melbourne NSW
2017 Holding is Next to Knowing, curated by Melissa McGrath, Sister Gallery, Adelaide SA
2016 PASSING/PARADES, curated by Kate Britton, SUCCESS, Fremantle WA
2015 PICA SALON 2015: Epic Narratives, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, WA (Snapcat)
2014 Self-portrait as shared dream, curated by Gemma Weston, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, UWA, Perth
Performance Projects (Snapcat – collaboration with Renae Coles)
2018 The Beautiful Game, one-off performance for Co-MMotion: Temporary Art Program, Brisbane, QLD
2017 Before the Siren (Lara Thoms & Snapcat), one-off performance, Perth International Arts Festival, WA
2016 The Lightning Furies, site-specific participatory performance (Perth, Newcastle NSW, Melbourne)
2015 Tiny Parades, 5 x one-off performances in Perth CBD, perthFLUX, Perth Public Art Foundation, WA
2014 The End of Things (boat, flag, fire, drum), one-off performance, Fremantle WA
Selected Curatorial Projects
SIDE GATE, domestic exhibition space, Melbourne
2024 Portals, co-curated with Jess Cockerill
2023 Itineraries of Escape
Unfinished Works, co-curated with Jess Cockerill
2020 Tough and Tender
OTHER
2022 A Plant in the Wrong Place, Counihan Gallery, VIC (curator and artist)
2016 House Pet: Jess Tan, co-curated with Danni McGrath, kindle/stoke (domestic exhibition), WA
2016 Interface, co-curated with Carla Adams, Central Institute of Technology Shopfront Gallery, WA
2014 Run Artist Run, co-curated with Paper Mountain co-directors, Paper Mountain, WA
2012 The Conservatorium, co-curated with Renae Coles, Paper Mountain, WA
Selected Published Writing
2023 “Why The Astronomers Are Busy,” Perth Festival Visual Arts publication, Feb 2023, fiction. Originally published: The Toast (online), May 2014.
2023 Catalogue text, Of Earth and Ether (flowers never bend), Louise Meuwissen, Bundoora Homestead Arts Centre.
2021 “Water”, catalogue text for Impossible Bouquet, Tai Snaith, Heide Museum of Modern Art.
2021 “Never; a little of the time; some of the time; most of the time; always”, catalogue text for Notions of Care, Bus Projects, Melbourne. Republished 2022 for exhibition tour to Swan Hill Art Gallery and Ararat TAMA.
2020 “Working With Weeds #1-3”, BLINDSIDE (online), Dec 2020, interview series.
2020 “The Rhythm of the Handcrafted”, Art Guide Australia, Nov 2020, essay.
2019 “Craftivism: Dissident Objects and Subversive Forms,” Art + Australia online, Jan 2019, exhibition review.
2018 “HOUSE / WORK / HOUSE (hang in there)”, un projects (online), Dec 2018, exhibition review.
2018 “Weight of History: A response to Unveilings by Make or Break,” with Danni McGrath, un magazine 12.2, Nov 2018.
2018 “Into My Arms”, Art + Australia online, Aug 2018, exhibition review.
2018 “Discussion - Lucas Ihlein: DIAGRAMATIC”, with Danni McGrath, Art + Australia online, May 2018.
2018 “Notes on Estrogenesis,” Runway (online), May 2018, performance review.
2018 “Candice Breitz,” Vault Magazine #22, May 2018, feature.
2017 “Pillar of Salt, or Don’t Look Back While The City is Burning (Some Notes on Religion, Queerness and the Internet at This Particular Moment in Australia, Aug-Sep 2017),” fine print magazine (online), Sep 2017, essay.
2016 “Pip & Pop: Sugar Highs,” Vault Magazine #16, Oct 2016, feature.
2014 “Jesus and the Twelve Disciples Do Stick-and-poke Tattoos,” The Toast (online), Dec 2014, fiction.
2014 “Tactile Language,” un magazine 8.1, Aug 2014, essay.
2014 “Why The Astronomers Are Busy,” The Toast (online), May 2014, fiction.