Laura Jones is an artist from Sydney, well known for her contemporary still life paintings. Previously a florist, her work grew from a desire to express a love for nature- the process of painting beginning with the physical act of arranging flowers. In the current context of global climate change, this practice gradually evolved into a passionate effort to impress a love for the environment onto her audience.
Her most recent work engaged with climate change impacts on coral and the mass coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef. After research residencies at the Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station and the University of Queensland Heron Island Research Station, Laura brought a difficult conversation to light through an exhibition “Bleached” at Olsen Gallery in May 2017.
Laura has a Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies from the University of Sydney, and a Master of Art from the College of Fine Arts University of New South Wales.
Laura is represented by Sophie Gannon Gallery and Olsen Gallery.
CV
1982 Born in Sydney
EDUCATION
2006 Master of Art, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney
2003 Bachelor of Arts: Asian Studies, University of Sydney, NSW
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017 Bleached, Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2016 Wildflower, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney
2015 I Woke Up Like This, Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney
2015 Laura Jones- Still Life, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Windsor, NSW
2014 Punch, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
2014 Shadow and Soul, TDF Collect, Melbourne
2013 Light is Fugitive, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter
2013 With Flowers, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, Sydney
2013 The Conductor’s Project, St James and Museum Stations, Sydney
2012 On Air, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, Sydney
2011 Mon Coeur (Into My Own), Sheffer Gallery, Sydney
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018 All We Can’t See, Yellow House, Sydney
2017 Still: National Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
2017 Coast, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
2017 Salon des Refusés, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2017 Good Neighbours, Artbank, Sydney
2016 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2016 EMSLA Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
2016 602 Art Fair, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2016 Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Townsville Regional Gallery, QLD
2016 Gallipoli Art Prize, Gallipoli Memorial Club, Sydney, NSW
2016 Flora Australis, Bega Regional Gallery, NSW
2015 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2015 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2015 Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Carriageworks, Sydney
2015 Manning Art Prize: Naked & Nude 2015, Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, NSW
2015 Mug Shot, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
2015 Kogarah Art Prize, Kogarah Library and Cultural Centre, Sydney
2015 NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, NSW Parliament, Sydney
2015 Group Show: 5 Artists, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
2015 In the Still, Arthouse Gallery, Sydney
2014 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2014 The Shirley Hannan Portrait Award, Bega Regional Gallery, Bega
2014 The Boondocks Experiment: Off the Beaten Track, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW
2014 Efflorescent- A Contemporary Take, Goulburn Regional Gallery, Goulburn, NSW
2013 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2013 On the table- Still lives, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney
2013 Autoportrait, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
2013 Yen Female Art Award Finalists Exhibition, Gaffa, Sydney
2012 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Moran House, Sydney
2011 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2011 Salon des Refusés, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2011 Grantpirrie Editions: Suite 1, Grantpirrie Gallery Offsite, Sydney
2010 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2008 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, Brett Whiteley Studio, Sydney
2008 The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
2007 Smash Hits, Parramatta Artists’ Studios, Sydney
2007 Blacktown City Art Prize, Blacktown Arts Centre, Sydney
2007 The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
2006 COFA Annual, Cofaspace, University of New South Wales, Sydney
2006 The Last Supper, Kudos Gallery, University of New South Wales, Sydney
2005 Thai- Australia Contemporary Prints, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
2005 COFA Spring Fair Printmakers’ Exhibition, COFA, UNSW, Sydney
2005 Money Makes the World Go ‘Round’, Kudos Gallery, UNSW, Sydney
AWARDS
2016 Portia Geach Memorial Award (Finalist)
2016 EMSLA Still Life Award (Finalist)
2016 Percival Portrait Painting Prize (Finalist)
2016 Gallipoli Art Prize (Finalist)
2015 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize (Finalist)
2015 Manning Art Prize: Naked & Nude 2015 (Finalist)
2015 The Kogarah Art Prize (Finalist)
2015 NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize (Finalist)
2014 Portia Geach Memorial Award (Finalist)
2014 The Shirley Hannan Portrait Award (Finalist)
2013 Portia Geach Memorial Award (Finalist)
2012 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize (Finalist)
2011 Portia Geach Memorial Award (Finalist)
2010 Portia Geach Memorial Award (Finalist)
2008 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship (Finalist)
2008 The Mosman Art Prize (Finalist)
2007 Blacktown City Art Prize (Finalist)
2007 The Young Emerging Artists’ Award, Mosman Art Prize (Winner)
RESIDENCIES
2017 Heron Island Research Station, University of Queensland, Australia
2016 The Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station, QLD, Australia
2016 Studio A, Hornsby, NSW
2011 Drawing Marathon, New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, USA
2011 Skopelos Foundation for the Arts, Greece
COLLECTIONS
Artbank
Private collections in Australia and overseas