Photo by Rachel Kara
Paintings and monotypes by Laura Jones convey a focus on the complex relationships between humanity and nature in their composition, subject matter and in the looseness and lack of resolution in the paint itself. The vulnerabilities of the environment are expressed alongside her own domestic interiors, exposing the private (and human) in parallel with the natural world. They unfurl their narratives, opening like a flower to expose precious sensitivities, also expressed in the space that invites us between the brushstrokes.
‘I have always turned my concern for the environment into art. My recent work weaves more private moments into the tapestry of the natural world. I am interested in capturing moments of vulnerability and wonder. This gives context and heart to the ineffable, expressing the rawness of how it feels to be alive right now. I try to conjure familiar emotions and describe them with paint in a new way. Hopefully, I can remind people that fragility and optimism can coexist.’
Jones grew up in nature in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney. She studied Japanese and art history, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (2003). She completed a Masters of Art (printmaking) from the College of Fine Arts, University of NSW (2006). Her work has been exhibited in public and private galleries since 2011, with residencies at the Great Barrier Reef, Lizard Island, Heron Island, The Glasshouse Regional Art Gallery, Byron Bay School of Art, New York, Japan, and Antarctica. In 2023 she was awarded the Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence at Tweed Regional Gallery. She is a many times finalist in art awards including the Archibald Prize (2023, 2022, 2019) and Wynne Prize (2021), Sulman Prize (2024), and won the People’s Choice Award at the Paddington Art Prize (2021). Her work has been acquired for the Artbank Collection and national and international private collections. In 2024 Jones won the Archibald Prize with a portrait of author Tim Winton.
CV
EDUCATION
2006 Master of Art (Printmaking), College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales
2003 Bachelor of Arts- Asian Studies, University of Sydney
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 The Geometry of Longing, Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney
Solo presentation at Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney
2022 Music for Trees, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
Hot Pink Mountains, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne Art Fair
2021 Monotypes, Olsen Gallery Annexe, Sydney
Dirty Pretty Things, Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2020 The Garden, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Sydney
The Listening Ship, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
Arcadia, Glasshouse Regional Gallery, Port Macquarie
2019 Olympia, Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2018 Works on Paper, Olsen Gallery Annexe, Sydney
Too Much/ Not Enough, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
2017 Bleached, Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2016 Wildflower, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney
2015 I Woke Up Like This, Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney
Laura Jones- Still Life, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Windsor, NSW
2014 Punch, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
Shadow and Soul, TDF Collect, Melbourne
Light is Fugitive, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
2013 With Flowers, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, Sydney
The Conductor’s Project, St James and Museum Stations, Sydney
2012 On Air, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, Sydney
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 The Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW Sydney
The Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Salon des Refuses, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Winter Group Show, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
New South, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, NSW
Still Life, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2023 Light and Life, Tweed Regional Gallery, NSW
Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2022 Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
The Art of Music, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2021 Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW
The Paddington Art Prize, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
The Environmental Art & Design Prize, Manly Art Gallery & Museum
Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
EZY Art Show 2, EZY Mart, Darlinghurst, Sydney
2019 The Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2018 A Painted Landscape, Special Group Studios, Sydney
Paper Contemporary, Sydney Contemporary Art Fair
The King’s School Art Prize, Sydney
Spring, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
All We Can’t See: Illustrating the Nauru Files, Fortyfive Downstairs, Melbourne
The Art of Music, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
All We Can’t See: Illustrating the Nauru Files, Yellow House, Sydney
2017 Still: National Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
Salon des Refusès, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Good Neighbours, Artbank, Sydney
2016 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
EMSLA Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
602 Art Fair, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
Gallipoli Art Prize, Gallipoli Memorial Club, Sydney
Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville
Flora Australis, Bega Regional Gallery, NSW
The Art of Music, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2015 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Carriageworks, Sydney
Manning Art Prize: Naked & Nude 2015, Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, NSW
Mug Shot, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
Kogarah Art Prize, Kogarah Library and Cultural Centre, Sydney
NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, NSW Parliament, Sydney
Group Show: 5 Artists, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
In the Still, Arthouse Gallery, Sydney
2014 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
The Shirley Hannan Portrait Award, Bega Regional Gallery, Bega, NSW
The Boondocks Experiment: Off the Beaten Track, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Windsor, NSW
Efflorescent- A Contemporary Take, Goulburn Regional Gallery, Goulburn, NSW
2013 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
On the table- Still lives, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney
Autoportrait, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, NSW
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
Salon des Refuses, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2010 Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2008 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, Brett Whiteley Studio, Sydney
The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
2007 The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
Smash Hits, Parramatta Artists’ Studios, Sydney
Blacktown City Art Prize, Blacktown Arts Centre, Sydney
The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
2006 COFA Annual, Cofaspace, University of New South Wales, Sydney
The Last Supper, Kudos Gallery, University of New South Wales, Sydney
2005 Thai- Australia Contemporary Prints, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
COFA Spring Fair Printmakers’ Exhibition, COFA, UNSW, Sydney
Money Makes the World Go ‘Round’, Kudos Gallery, UNSW, Sydney
AWARDS
2024 Winner, The Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2023 Finalist, The Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2022 Finalist, The Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2021 Finalist, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Finalist in 2 categories, Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW
Winner People’s Choice, The Paddington Art Prize, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
Finalist, The Environmental Art & Design Prize, Manly Art Gallery & Museum
2019 Finalist, The Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2018 Finalist, The King’s School Art Prize, Sydney
2017 Finalist, Still: National Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
2016 Finalist, EMSLA Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery
Finalist, Portia Geach Memorial Award, SH Ervin Gallery, NSW
Finalist, Gallipoli Art Prize, Gallipoli Memorial Club, Sydney
Finalist, Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, QLD
2015 Finalist, Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
Finalist, Manning Art Prize: Naked & Nude 2015, Manning Regional Art Gallery
Finalist, The Kogarah Art Prize, Kogarah Library and Cultural Centre, Sydney
Finalist, NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, Parliament House, Sydney
2014 Finalist, Portia Geach Memorial Award, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Finalist, The Shirley Hannan Portrait Award, Bega Regional Gallery, Bega, NSW
2013 Finalist, Portia Geach Memorial Award, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2012 Finalist, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Moran Hose, Sydney
2011 Finalist, Portia Geach Memorial Award, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2010 Finalist, Portia Geach Memorial Award, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2008 Finalist, Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, Brett Whiteley Studio, Sydney
Finalist, The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
2007 Finalist, Blacktown City Art Prize, Blacktown Arts Centre
Winner, The Young Emerging Artists’ Award, Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
RESIDENCIES & PROJECTS
2023 Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence, Tweed Regional Gallery, NSW
2021- present Incognito Art Show Founder
2019 Artist Residency, Byron Bay School of Art, NSW
Artist in Residence, Glasshouse Regional Art Gallery, Port Macquarie
2017- presentPrintmaking residency at Whaling Road Studios, North Sydney
2017 Heron Island Research Station, University of Queensland
Three-month painting residency, Private Studio, Brooklyn, NYC
2016 Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station, Queensland
Guest Artist in Residence, Studio A, Sydney
2011 Drawing Marathon, New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, New York, USA
Printmaking residency, Skopelos Foundation for the Arts, Greece
2000 Student Exchange, Kashiwa High School, Japan
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2023 Charlotte Middleton, Collectors Love: Laura Jones, Art Collector, Issue 103, January-March
2022 Charlotte Middleton, Artist Profile: Laura Jones, Art/ Edit, November issue
Karina Dias Spires, Artists at Home, Thames & Hudson, Australia
2021 Emma Kate-Wilson, Laura Jones: The Garden, Art Almanac, Cover story, January/ February issue
2018 Amber Creswell Bell, A Painted Landscape, Thames & Hudson, Australia
2017 Lucy Feagins, Laura Jones- Bleached, The Design Files
Eliza O’Hare, Brett Whiteley feature, Harper’s Bazaar, May issue
2016 Michael Slezak, Bleached, Laura Jones’ Hope for the Reef, The Guardian, 30 December
Annie Sebel, Laura Jones: Wildflower, Art Almanac, Cover story, March issue
COLLECTIONS
Artbank, Sydney