Bio
Jess Hall
Jess Hall is a multi-disciplinary artist working with painting, drawing and embroidery. The work uses botanical, cellular and anatomical imagery, reclaiming historically feminine practices like embroidery and watercolour painting. Exploring the space between art and craft, and the use of intensive hand-made processes, the work uses hybrid forms to articulate an imaginary science.
Training as a painter, printmaker and as a textile designer, Jess completed first class Honours at Queensland College of Art (2005) and a Master of Fine Art at VCAM (2010). Jess has also studied textile design at RMIT, where textile skills such as dye techniques, embroidery and pattern have found their way into the large-scale embroideries and works on paper. Underpinning all painting and textile work is a descriptive drawing practice.
Jess’ work has been purchased for private and public collections and has featured in numerous art prizes, group and solo exhibitions. She was awarded an Australia Council Art Start Grant in 2010 and worked out of an artist studio at the historic Abbotsford Convent for two years. In 2019 Jess was highly commended for the NG Art Creative Residency Prize in France and was offered a supported place in the residency program for two weeks. This year Jess has exhibited in a number of art prizes and was awarded a City of Melbourne 2021 Annual Arts Grant to fund her solo exhibition at Gallerysmith Project Space in 2021.
CV
Education
2014 - 2021: Bachelor of Textiles (Design), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
2010 Master of Fine Art, Victorian College of the Arts and Music (VCAM)
2005 First Class Honours in Fine Art, Queensland College of Art (QCA), Griffith University, Brisbane
2003 Bachelor of Visual Art in Fine Art, Majoring in Painting at QCA
Awards, Residencies and Grants
2021 City of Melbourne 2021 Annual Arts Grant
2019 Highly commended for the NG Art Creative Residency Prize, Eygalières, France
2011 Recipient of an Australia Council Art Start Grant (2010-2011)
2008 Artist in Residence, Siena College Girls School, Melbourne
2005 Artist in Residence, Somerville House Girls School, Brisbane
2003 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence
Upcoming
2021 Solo exhibition Imaginary Science at Gallerysmith Project Space
2021 Finalist in the International KOGEI Award at Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design in Toyama, Japan (exhibiting a large-scale embroidery/painting).
Solo Exhibitions
2012 Swarm Series red gallery contemporary art space, Melbourne
2012 New Work St Heliers Street Gallery, Abbotsford Convent Melbourne
2011 St Heliers Street Gallery, Abbotsford Convent Melbourne
2010 Tape Space, Melbourne
2009 Hidden Futures c3 contemporary art space, Melbourne
2009 Postgraduate Gallery, VCAM, Melbourne
2004 Unknown Southern Land Klug Contemporary, Brisbane
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020 Finalist in The Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize in Landscape Painting, Webb Gallery, Queensland College of Art, Brisbane
2020 Semi Finalist in the Lester Prize, Perth
2020 Selected as a finalist in the Swan Hill Print and Drawing Award, Victoria
2020 Online Art Auction, Choose Art, Give Light to Refugees an online Art Auction in the fight against COVID-19, curated by Nicky Ginsberg.
2019 Finalist, Clayton Utz Launch Art Award, Brisbane
2013 Finalist, Clayton Utz Launch Art Award, Brisbane
2013 Linden Postcard Prize, Melbourne
2012 Finalist, Clayton Utz Launch Art Award, Brisbane
2012 Interstate Romance, Pseudo Space, Sydney, curated by Jonathan Mcburnie
2011 The rest is silence Death be Kind, Melbourne, curators Claire Lambe & Elvis Richardson
2011 Belle Arti Chapman & Bailey Art Award, Melbourne
2011 Salon exhibition, St Heliers Street Gallery, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2011 Finalist Agendo Exhibition and Award for Emerging Artists, St Heliers St Gallery, Abbotsford Convent Melbourne.
2011 The You’re Welcome Show: Charity art raffle for the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, Mars Gallery, Port Melbourne.
2011 St Heliers Street Gallery, Abbotsford Convent Melbourne.
2010 Other Msconceptions, Level Ari, Brisbane, curator Jo Diball
2010 Curious Collector, Project Gallery, QCA, Brisbane
2009 Graduate Masters Exhibition, VCAM, Melbourne
2009 Mid Year Show at the Postgraduate Gallery, VCAM, Melbourne
2009 Order / Disorder, c3 contemporary art space, Melbourne
2008 We Make Good Pets, Metro Arts, Brisbane, curator Jo Diball
2007 The Micro Macro show of the x-umbiliQCA, College Gallery, Brisbane
2007 Linden Postcard Prize, Melbourne
2005 Finalist Thiess Art Prize, Dell Gallery, Brisbane
2005 Chimera Graduate Honours Show, QCA, Brisbane
2005 Collaberratum, Metro Arts, Brisbane
2005 Studio 6.09, College Gallery, Brisbane
2004 Finalist Science Meets Art, Parliament House Brisbane
2004 Finalist 15 Artists, Redcliffe City Gallery
2004 Finalist Churchie Emerging National Art Prize, Brisbane
2003 Finalist Thiess Art Prize, Dell Gallery, Brisbane
Collections
Gold Coast University Hospital
Mater Private Hospital
Mater Children’s Hospital
Moreton Bay Regional Council Art Collection
Gadens Lawyers
