Artists Statement
As a Canberra-based artist living in the catchment area of Braidwood NSW, I work alongside educational institutions, government agencies, community focus groups and stewards of the natural world to design change making campaigns for creative projects across Australia and the world. My research-based methodology aims to discover deeper meaning behind each story, injecting authenticity paired with a grass-roots style integrity into the public arena.
In a time of rapid change, instability and a globally recognised feeling of imminent threat, my art challenges “the way things are” to provide messages of hope.
Within this, my specific focus is on connection and belonging. In this space my own narrative is explored, both for generational healing and for connection to both local communities and the natural environment around me.
My ideas express gentleness and empathy towards the audience, inviting them to pause and be present with moments of vulnerability and care in our rapidly changing world. I ask the viewer to question our current circumstances and create mindful connections both with the natural world and with each other.
I’m extremely fortunate to have a mother who retrained as a Traditional Sign Writer in the mid 90’s. I was assisting her on murals, banners and signage before I’d even hit high school. When I rediscovered sign writing myself in my early 20’s, she had retired from sign writing and moved on to a masters in traditional print making with a strong focus on environment and sustainability, and became a mentor for me as a female small business owner in a way they just don’t teach in schools.
Together, we discovered “The Letterheads”, an annual get-together of Traditional Sign Painters, or “Brushies”, who meet in different small country towns to share knowledge and celebrate hand painted lettering in a time when the vinyl machine had all but ruined their careers. We were one of a small handful of women attending from a severly male dominated field, and these annual weekends across Australia and New Zealand became formative lessons for me in the dying craft of sign writing.
Mum always said that I could support myself with nothing but my brushes, that “there’ll always be someone who needs a sign”. I put that to the test when I loaded up my 1993 blue Toyota Hilux “Hilary”, and hit the road. I stopped in Melbourne for 9 months, Adelaide for a three month art residency that turned into a 5 year home base, then on to research and development trips around North America, UK, Europe and beyond.
My brushes took me all around the world. It was an incredible way to travel, and I began living seasonally between Adelaide and North America, making full use of my paternal Canadian Citizenship. I discovered that the people who were interested in hand painted design were by and large like-minded kinfolk of mine; people who honoured integrity, kindness and hard work at the forefront of their grass roots businesses. These were DIY people, surfers, skaters, makers, crafts people, and they were my people.
After a long time, which felt like a lifetime, I moved back home to the small (and culturally jam packed) heritage listed town of Braidwood NSW, to caretake my family property. From here I’ve been able to build myself a home and develop deep bonds with my local community. Arriving just in time for the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires, which had our little heritage listed town surrounded for 3 months straight, and then Covid - which put a complete halt on my work - forcing me to rest, reflect, and properly connect to the natural environment around me for the first time since I was a child.
This move, along with these incredible times that we live within, has created a huge shift in my creative output. My main focus is now on large scale artworks with activism woven into their messaging, and collaborative mural painting workshops where we use street art to discuss female leadership, wellbeing and mental health. I also paint large scale public murals, enjoying the sense of scale, and the broad audience who are able to connect with my ideas in the public space.
I travel Australia and the world, undertaking research-led art residencies, learning from environmental scientists, indigenous, thought leaders and activists from across varied vocations and passions. And I garden, I hike, I tend to my fire and cook food for my friends.
This is the story of a blessed life, though if you dig deeper you will find running themes of mental illhealth, misogyny, colonialism, anxiety, and creative blocks. It’s these struggles - both within myself and in my primary relationships - that fuels the fire behind my work. I see my art as a form of activism; aiming to create safe space where conversations on gender equality, mental wellbeing and environmental stewardship are discussed, expressed and respected. I aim to create public art that encourages deeper reflection and mindfulness in the social collective.
If you’re interested to learn more head to my Press page and dive into some audio interviews. I’m an open book, as you’ll soon find out.
xoxo Bohie
Eyes full of wonder.
With almost 10 years experience creating hand crafted art and design, it’s hard to know where to begin.
CV
Selected grant funded projects.
“Scratchin’ the Surface” Community Grant to support Surface Street Art Festival - TCCS ACT Government through Northside Community Services, 2022
“Intertwine” Nature Play Workshop Facilitation - Ainslie + Gorman, 2021
“Thrive Amidst Chaos” Shipping Container mural workshop, QPRC NSW, 2021
“Wiradjuri Walk” Mural grant for Darlington Point placemaking - Murrumbidgee Council, NSW, 2021
“International Women’s Day 2021” Mural workshop facilitation - TCCS ACT Government through YWCA and Canberra Centre, 2021
“Cubes” Pop Up Mural Project, Self-directed community development project through multiple high school mural workshops - TCCS ACT Government - 2020-21
“In Your Hands” Placemaking + community engagement mural in Dickson ACT, City Renewal Authority - 2020-21
“International Women’s Day 2020” Mural workshop facilitation - TCCS ACT Government through YWCA and Canberra Centre, 2020
“Endeavour” Covid relief funding for Street Artists, TCCS ACT Government - 2020
“International Women’s Day 2019” Mural workshop facilitation - TCCS ACT Government through YWCA and Canberra Centre, 2019
“Narrabundah Sporting Pavilion”, Mural workshop facilitation - TCCS ACT Government, 2019
Exhibitions.
Surface Festival Artists Showcase - Ainslie + Gorman - February 2022
KNOW MY NAME: Art By Great Women - Ambush Gallery, ACT - November 2020
Goulburn Regional Art Prize - Goulburn Regional Gallery, NSW - May 2020
That Which Binds Us - Altenburg & Co - Braidwood NSW - Dec 2019
Throttle Roll - The Commune - Sydney, NSW - May 2019
Subversive - Cult & Harper Gallery - Adelaide, South Australia - June 2018
Wonderwalls Mural Painting Festival - Adelaide, South Australia - April 2017
Of Land And Sea - Peanut Gallery - Adelaide, South Australia - Sept 2016
Coexist - U&I Label - Torquay, NSW - September 2016
Broken Spells of Golden Vision - AntiSocial Shop - Vancouver, Canada - 2015
Doin’ Drawings - Scumfighter Gallery - Hobart, Tasmania - Feb 2015
Don’t Let The Idea Die - The Producers Bar, South Australia - Nov 2014
Lowered Brows - SALA Exhibition - Light Square Gallery, South Australia - Aug 2014
Postered - Tooth and Nail Art Collective, South Australia - Feb 2014
Double Entendre - Tooth and Nail, South Australia - Feb 2014
Wild Souls Radiate the Gold - The Annex, South Australia - Nov 2013
Asterism - Four Doors plus One, South Australia - August 2014
Golden Years - Lonsdale St Roasters, ACT - 2013
The Two Fires Festival of Arts and Activism - Braidwood, NSW - 2013
5 x 5 - The Shed Gallery, NSW - 2012
Art Residencies.
Bundian Way Artist Exchange (BWAE), ANU Environment Studio, Canberra ACT
Sensation, Ayatana Science Research Residency, Gatineau National Park, Canada, January 2022
Biophilia; Ecology For Artists, Ayatana Science Research Residency, Gatineau National Park, Canada, August 2020
Artist in Residence - Little Black Bike, Adelaide, South Australia 2018
Artist in Residence - Anti Social Skateboard Shop, Vancouver, BC Canada 2015
Artist in Residence - Tooth and Nail Studio Collective, Adelaide, South Australia 2014
Relevant Experience.
2022
Lead Artist and Workshop Facilitator “Thinkplace Global” research residency and office mural, Thinkplace ACT, 2022
Lead Artist and Workshop Facilitator “St Thomas Moores” Primary school interactive mural workshop, Cambell ACT, 2022
Lead Artist International Women’s Day mural in partnership with UN Women and The Canberra Centre, ACT 2022
Workshop Facilitator for “Scratchin’ The Surface” youth female empowerment street art project, facilitated by Northside Community Services and grant funded by TCCS in the ACT Government for Surface Street Art Festival, 2022
Lead Artist Surface Street Art Festival for “Inspire Growth” mural on the wall of Ori Building, Braddon. This artwork was created in partnership with ACT Government sustainability initiative “NoWASTE”
Guest Speaker “Shaking Up The Gender Imbalance” panel discussion, Surface Street Art Festival, 2022, Ainslie + Gorman
2021
Online Workshop Facilitator in collaboration with Design Thinking strategist Selina Hardwicke “Intertwine” Nature Play Workshop Symposium.
Connecting 10 nature play practitioners with First Nations consultants over four day workshops to inspire the design of new projects. Grant
funded by Gorman house.
Lead Artist, Mural Project Designer in collaboration with local art therapist, Kerri Weymouth “Wiradjuri Walk” Large Scale Mural Project including
workshop consultation with Wiradjuri Elders through Murrumbidgee Arts Kinship Enterprise (M.A.K.E), Darlington Point NSW, with theme
“Marrambidya (Murrumbidgee River) Big Water: Lifeblood of Our Community”. Grant Funded by Murrumbudgee Council.
Podcast Guest “Splatrs; Street Art Unearthed” Australian podcast with full episode interview on how I use my art practice for self care,
building resilience, finding my authentic voice, and visualisation for self development.
Lead Artist, Community Engagement Facilitator and Youth Mentor “Gunners Place” Mural Project. 6 female grade 10 participants from three
different high schools, co-designing and installing an artwork for Gunners Place Youth Centre with our chosen themes “Inclusivity, Diversity
and Safe Space”. Grant funded by Belco Arts.
Lead Artist, Art Therapist, Program Facilitator, Partnership Manager, and Youth Mentor “Cubes Pop-Up Mural Project” Harrison School : 8 female
students co-designing and installing an artwork for Gungahlin Town Festival Pop-Up Mural with theme “Love your town! Love your
neighbour!”. Tuggeranong College: 25 at-risk students from “How To Life” class designing their own “Self-Care Monsters” responding
to themes of resilience and wellbeing. Final artworks featured in pop-up mural, painted collaboratively by the group and displayed in
the Tuggeranong Public Library for one month. Both murals now on permanent display in respective schools. Grant funded by Transport
Canberra City Services.
Guest Speaker and Moderator “WATER - FIRE - LAND” Retrospective exhibition opening of enviro artist Fran Ifould, Leeton Museum
and Gallery, NSW, with one hour one-on-one interview infront of gallery audience. Supported by Western Riverina Arts and Leeton Shire
Council.
Project Manager, Lead Artist, Youth Mentor and Media Spokesperson “International Women’s Day 2021” Collaborative Mural Project with 8 Erindale
College students including facilitation of guest speaker and artwork focus, female Olympian, Caroline Buchanan. Chosen theme “Choose
to Challenge (Gender Stereotyping with Mindfulness and Self Care)” resulting in collaboratively painted large scale public mural artwork in
The Canberra Centre. Grant funded by Transport Canberra City Services in partnership with YWCA and The Canberra Centre. This project
was featured on WIN news, ABC news, The Canberra Times, with interviews on 2CC radio. Please note I have been awarded the grant to
run this exceptionally rewarding program for 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Feature Artist projected across two city blocks for Enlighten Festival, Canberra ACT.
2020
Podcast Guest “The Real Work” American podcast with episode themed on “Mentorship, Bravery and Self Resilience”.
Artist in Residency Biophilia Science Research Program, Canada. Two week online residency focused on ecology and
environmental stewardship in our natural landscape, learning from ecology specialists from all over the world.
Workshop Participant “Resilience” Regenerative Farming workshop at Jillamatong Regerative Agriculture learning how the
environment can better handle extremes such as drought, flood and bushfire.
2019
Project Facilitator and Lead Artist “Narrabundah Sporting Field” Four Day Mural Painting Workshop with 30 Narrabundah College students and
10 local seniors covering 235 sq/m of mural in 12 hours (over three days). Grant funded by Transport Canberra City Services.
2016 - 2019
Lead Artist and Project Manager Westfield (Chermside QLD, Marion SA, Westlakes SA, Coomera QLD), commissioned to design and install
multiple large scale mural and hand painted signage works involving team of assistants working in live construction zones during
the night.
2017
Guest Speaker “You’re idea is going to be big... so what’s stopping you?” Panel discussion for Business South Australia
Entrepreneur Week 2017
2016
Guest Speaker Australian Graphic Design Association Design Series keynote talks, including teaching two full-day workshops to
students from School of Creative Arts, Hobart, Tasmania.
Volunteer Work.
2021 - Mentor Providing work experience for young women in street art through Gunners Place youth center, Gungahlin ACT
2019 - Art class Assistant once a week for 6 months at St Bede’s Primary School, Braidwood NSW
2017 - Bushfire Relief Support extending accomodation to bushfire affected locals through Life Center Braidwood, NSW
2016 - Arts Coordinator for skate park fundraising not for profit, High Street Social Club, Adelaide SA
2016 - Donated Mural Artwork celebrating 100 years at Bowden Brompton Community School, Adelaide SA
2013 - 2016 - Donated Multiple Large Scale Mural Artworks to boost tourism in rural towns of NSW with Letterheads
2011 - 2014 - 3 Day Festival Volunteer for First Nations and guest speaker support at Two Fires Festival of Art and Activism, Braidwood NSW
2010 - Chosen ACT State Representative AGIdea’s Design Conference Melbourne, VIC
Follow my journey on Instagram.
