LISA SEWARDS | ABOUT

I would like to acknowledge the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land on which my much loved studio stands. I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.

Lisa Sewards is a Melbourne artist who has followed traditional intaglio methods using drypoint, acids, copper and zinc plates over her decade long career. More recently, Sewards has begun working with a non-toxic, water and UV based technique called solar plate etching. Images are hand drawn and etched onto metal backed solar plates. Her favoured Charbonnel inks of blacks and prussian blue are hand wiped onto the plate that is pulled through an etching press. Sewards has mastered creating luminous backgrounds to her works, many of which include human figure silhouettes and themes of displacement. The parachute is also a pivotal object in Lisa’s practice with its imagery in her works “a universal symbol of hope, survival and strength”.

She has worked under mentors and fellow Printmakers and Australian Artists such as Tim Jones, Marco Luccio, Sarah Tomasetti, and Prudence Flint. Global Artists that inspire her work include Italian Photographer Frank Dituri, and Printmakers Jim Dine and William Kentridge. The words of Australian short story writers and Poets have influenced Sewards artworks and one of her works was recently acquired by the State Library of Victoria. Holding place in shortlists for multiple acquisitive art awards, and recipient of a City of Melbourne Arts Grant, Sewards has exhibited solo and group exhibitions since 2012 many of which were hosted by fortyfivedownstairs and TACIT galleries. In 2022 she signed to begin her representation and partnership with Gallerysmith in North Melbourne.

ESSAYS
Short Stories Exhibition Catalogue Essay by Loni Jeffs, Arts Writer and Editor 2021 pdf essay file [click here]
Featured Artist in Editions Exhibition, Catalogue Essay Spun Stories by Keith Lawrence, Director 2019 pdf essay file [click here]
White Parachute Exhibition Catalogue Essay by Dr Julie Cotter 2013 juliecotter.com/articles-essays pdf essay file [click here]

ARTS GRANT
2021 City of Melbourne Arts Grant 2021 recipient supporting
SHORT STORIES exhibition, fortryfivedownstairs Gallery, Melbourne

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2013 White Parachute, fortyfivedownstairs Gallery, Melbourne VIC
2015 Flight from Silence, fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne VIC
2016 STRINGS, Port Jackson Press Print Gallery, Fitzroy VIC
2017 Cloudy Memory, Port Jackson Press Gallery Fitzroy VIC
2018 Thousand kisses deep, fortyfivedownstairs Gallery, Melbourne VIC
2019 Spun Stories, “FEATURE ARTIST” of Editions, TACIT Galleries VIC
2020 Snowglobe, Queenscliff Gallery, Regional Victoria (on-line)
2021 SHORT STORIES, fortryfivedownstairs Gallery, Melbourne VIC
2023 DRIFTW O O D, GALLERYSMITH, Nth Melbourne

ART AWARDS | PRIZES
2012 Winner, APC Art Prize, Albert Park, VIC
2012-2014 Artist In Residence, ANZAC Hostel, Brighton VIC
2014 Finalist, The M Collection Award, Gallerysmith, Nth Melb VIC
2015 Winner, Best Etching,Summer Salon,Firestation Print Studio VIC
2015 Finalist, Hutchins Works on Paper Acquisitive Award,Hobart TAS
2015 Finalist, M Collection Award, Acquisitive, Gallerysmith NthMelb VIC
2015 Finalist, 2015 International Miniature Print Exhibition, Manhattan Graphics, New York USA (Juror: Sarah Suzuki, Curator Modern Art (MoMA) NYC
2016 Winner, Printmaking Section, Flinders Art Show, VIC
2016 Finalist, NAB Flanagan Acquisitive Art Prize, Ballarat, VIC
2016 Winner, Printmaking Category, APC Art Show Port Melb VIC (Judges Callum Morton, Head Fine Arts Monash University and Kate Ryan, Curator NGV)
2017 Finalist, 11th Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition, CCP (Center for Contemporary Printmaking USA) (Touring Exhibition)
2017 FINALIST – Peebles Print Prize, Queenscliff Gallery, Regional VIC
2018 FINALIST – 45th Muswellbrook Art Prize, Acquisitive, NSW
2018 FINALIST – Collins Place & AMP Capital Art Prize, Melbourne VIC
2019 FINALIST – Burnie Print Prize, Acquisitive, Tasmania
2019 FINALIST – Peebles Print Prize, Queenscliff Gallery, Regional VIC
2020 WINNER – Curators Choice Award, APC Art Show, Port Melbourne VIC
2021 FINALIST – Burnie Print Prize, Acquisitive, Tasmania
2021 FINALIST – Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art 2021
2021 FINALIST – TACIT Still Life Prize, TACIT Galleries, Collingwood VIC
2022 WINNER – FPS Biennial Artists Book Prize 2022 VIC
2022 FINALIST – Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize, Bayside Gallery VIC
2022 FINALIST – TACIT Print Prize, TACIT Galleries, Collingwood VIC
2022 FINALIST – TACIT Still Life Prize, TACIT Galleries, Collingwood VIC
2023 FINALIST – WAMA Works on Paper Art Prize, Ararat Gallery TAMA Vic
2023 FINALIST – Banyule Award for Works on Paper, Acquisitive, Banyule City Council VIC

SELECTED CURATED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2007-2012 Founder & Curator, Pink Lady Art Exhibition, Brighton VIC
2012 OWL Steps Gallery, Carlton VIC
2010-2019 Linden Postcards, Linden Contemp Art, St.Kilda VIC
2011 Remembering Black Saturday, Yarram VIC
2012 CAE Graduate Show, Gipps St Gallery Richmond VIC
2013-2022 Editions, TACIT Contemporary Art, Collingwood VIC
2015 Intersection–The Art of Motherhood, Red Gallery, Fitzroy VIC
2015 & 2017 Gippsland Print Award, SALE Gallery, Regional VIC
2016 Proof, Port Jackson Press Print Gallery, Fitzroy VIC
2017 45 at 45, fortyfivedownstairs Gallery, Melbourne VIC
2017 Unique Magic, Media House Gallery, The AGE,
Curator Jacqueline Taylor OAM, Melbourne VIC
2018 SMALL, by invitation fortyfivedownstairs Gallery, Melbourne VIC
2019 ‘FEATURE ARTIST” Editions 2019, Tacit Galleries, Collingwood VIC
2019 GUEST ARTIST – Small works lounge, Gallerysmith North Melb VIC
2020 Journeys and Discoveries, Bayside Gallery, Brighton VIC
2020 ‘Here’ Group Show by invitation, fortyfivedownstairs Gallery(On-Line)
2021 St.Kevin’s College Art Show,Toorak VIC, Convenor Marita Smith, Gallerysmith
2022 Biblio Art Prize, Blarney Books & Art, Port Fairy, Regional Victoria
2022 Bayside Local, Bayside Gallery, Brighton VIC Curator Joanna Bosse
2022 Crucible, ten artists by invitation, fortyfivedownstairs Melbourne VIC
2022 Gold Chip, Gallerysmith North Melbourne VIC
2023 XV: Past Present Future, Gallerysmith North Melbourne VIC
2023 FPS Artists Book Recipient Prize Exhibition, Firestation Print Studio VIC

PUBLICATIONS | EDITORIALS
2007 – Author, not-for-profit children’s storybook My Mum has Breast Cancer
2012 – Editorial, Owl exhibition,summer ed IMPRINT,Print Council of Aust
2013 – Profile, White Parachute exhibition, ArtALMANAC July edition
2013 – Editorial, ‘Art takes place in history’ (White Parachute exhibition) by Jon Andrews, Bayside Leader Newspaper
2013 – Age M Magazine, profile by Erin Munro, White Parachute
2013 – 3MBS FM Radio, in discussion with Jacqui Grantford, Artsbeat program Saturday June 29th
2014 – Catalogue Essay, White Parachute exhibition, by Dr Julie Cotter (Author of Tom Roberts and the Art of Portraiture) – featured in IMPRINT summer 2013/4 edition: Image + Identity
2015 – AGE newspaper, May 15 – featured exhibition ‘Flight from Silence’ exhibition (including ‘Tribute: war pigeons’ artwork image)
2015 – Editorial ‘Fight from Silence’ exhibition, Bayside Leader Newspaper May 12 by Jon Andrews
2015 – ArtALMANAC May, Featured exhibition ‘Flight from Silence’
2015 – Interview on Arts Program 3MBS discussing ‘Flight from Silence’
2015 – ‘Collaboration Article’ co-authored with Artist Anna Taylor, featured in Australian Print Council IMPRINT, Winter edition
2015 – Tassie Mercury Newspaper Sept 13th ‘Paper returns to fold’ article, Hutchins Award by Clyde Selby (incl ‘The Recipients’ artwork)
2016 STRINGS, Australia Print Council’s 50 years of Print publication
2016 BIRD, etchings incl hand bound Artist Books produced by FPS,
acquired by State Library (VIC) & Stonnington Council (VIC)
2017 Contribution to Royal Prince Albert Hospital (NSW) Arterie Project
2017 Q&A Print Council of Australia, interview by Andrew Stephens, Editor Imprint, for Cloudy Memory, PCA website and blog
2017 AGE Newspaper Peebles Print Prize exhibition article: ‘Parajelly’ artwork featured as a finalist
2017 Bellarine Times ‘Printing for honour’ article by Courtney Jones;
‘Parajelly’ artwork featured
2018 Thousand kisses deep Exhibition Preview, ART GUIDE AUSTRALIA, by Anna Dunnill, Independent arts writer March/April edition
2018 Q&A Print Council of Australia Blog, Thousand kisses deep exhibition, with IMPRINT Editor Andrew Stephens
2019 Q&A Print Council of Australia Blog, Featured Artist/ Editions 2019
with IMPRINT Editor Andrew Stephens
2019 Catalogue Essay “Spun Stories” written by Keith Lawrence plus 16 page exhibition publication produced by Tacit Galleries
2019 Editorial ‘Solar Plate Printmaking at Sydney Contemporary’ Alana Wilson, Editor, Byron Arts Magazine NSW
2019 Editorial “The story behind the print” Issue no. 8
Pressing Matters magazine, London UK
2020 Editorial, THE RIP Newspaper, SNOW GLOBE exhibition REGIONAL VIC
2021 Catalogue Essay by Loni Jeffs arts writer and editor, SHORT STORIES
2021 Preview of SHORT STORIES, Art Almanac March
2022 Pictorial, Front and Back Cover images ISLAND Magazine (Literature, Poetry,Arts publication) Hobart Tasmania

ART FAIRS
2018 Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks Sydney NSW
Invitation by Print Council of Australia, PAPER CONTEMPORARY
2019 Melbourne Affordable Art Fair – represented by Tacit Galleries,
Royal Melbourne Exhibition Building, Carlton VIC
2019 Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks Sydney NSW
Invitation by Print Council of Australia, PAPER CONTEMPORARY
2020 & 2021 PAPER, Sydney Contemporary Art Fair (ON-LINE)
2022 PAPER, Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Curated by Print Council of Aust

PUBLIC Q&A AND PANELS
2020 PANELIST – Journeys and Discoveries Exhibition – discussion facilitated by Curator Joanna Bosse, Public forum at Bayside Gallery VIC and funded by Bayside City Council VIC
2020 Featured in documentary Pigeons in War, Q&A and artworks discussion, produced by Rod Simmons, Winners1 Pigeon Assoc, Aired Channel 31
2020 Q&A online interview, Career in the Arts Educational Program, St Leonards College Brighton East VIC
2020 Commission by City of Bayside & Bayside Gallery VIC Q&A and online video and Virtual Studio Tour
2021 Commission by City of Melbourne Arts Grants Program promotion video

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
State Library Victoria Melbourne VIC Australia
(Acquisition, SHORT STORIES Exhibition)
Hardcourt Homestead, Tasmania Australia
MGC Contemporary Print Collection, Manhattan NYC USA
Australian War Memorial, ACT Australia
Stonnington Council Malvern VIC Australia

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
NAVA (National Association for the Visual Arts)
Print Council of Australia Inc.
Firestation Print Studio