Genevieve de Couvreur

Artists Statement

24.11.2023

It has been 15 years since I have shown my work publicly.

Why…… my life just took me off on some different tangents personally and professionally.

Historically I am known for having extended pauses in my art practice and this current one has been by far the longest. I now view these absences in my studio as incubation periods, times of unconscious gatherings enabling a change in approach to my work.

I started out as a young figurative artist and after an extended break, I returned to my studio emerging as an abstract painter with the realisation I no longer needed narratives, just working with colour.

Returning from an extended break three and half years ago I picked up a pen, some watercolours and started keeping small visual diaries, a practice and scale I have never used before. A very private form of practice.

Madeline’s invitation to contribute to her show celebrating the opening of her new gallery inspired me, I resonated with her vision, the honouring of her mother and what happened around their creative kitchen table.

I love my kitchen table and so I gathered ceramic dinner plates and bowls and used them as my canvas. I applied my love of circles, colour, gold leaf and my more recent love of fine drawing on a small scale to produce this new work “Life Forms”.

A new dimension has entered my work becoming more sculptural whilst still drawing upon what is familiar to me.

I am very excited about this new direction, “Life Forms” being the symbolic seeds for what is yet to come.

Born:                           1959 Sydney Australia

Education:                   Diploma of Visual Arts, Alexander Mackie College of Advanced                                                      Education, Sydney. Major in ceramics and jewellery.

1978 – 1987                  Studio assistant to Charles Blackman assisting him on various projects,

which included ceramic works, designing of ballet sets for the Sydney Dance Company and West Australian Ballet Company. Cataloguing all of

                                    Blackman’s studio work during this period.

Solo Exhibitions

1985                             Greythorn Galleries, “Light Without Shadow”, Melbourne 

1986                             Holdsworth Contemporary Galleries, Sydney

1988                             Greythorn Galleries, “Isatis Tinctoria”, Melbourne

1990                             Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne

1991                             ABC Ultimo Centre – premier exhibition, foyer gallery, Sydney

1992                             Michael Nagy Fine Art Gallery, Sydney

1993                             La Plage, Noosa, Queensland 

1993                             Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne

2000                             Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne

2001                             Mary Place Gallery, Sydney

2002                             Fox Galleries, Brisbane

2003                             Fox Galleries, Brisbane  

2003                             Mary Place Gallery, Sydney

2004                             Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne

2006                             Despard Gallery, Hobart

2007                             Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne

2008                               Despard Gallery, Hobart

Group Exhibitions

1982                             Gallery Alpha, Queensland

1984                             Joint Exhibition, Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne 

                                    Barry Stern Gallery, Sydney

1985                             “Six Young Artists”, Holdsworth Contemporary Galleries, Sydney

                                    “History of Still Life Painting”, Phillip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane       

1986                             “The Still Life”, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney

                                    “Five Young Painters and a Potter”, Anne von Bertoch Galleries,                                                          Newcastle

1987                             Inaugural Exhibition, The Galaxy Gallery, Sydney

1991                             “Ink”, Pod Theatre Gallery, Sydney 

                                    Inaugural Exhibition, Gallery 1a, Sydney

1992                             “Large Works”, Gallery 1a, Sydney

1993                             “Ink”, Pod Theatre Gallery, Sydney

1994 – 1999                  Studio Exhibitions and Private Commissions

2002                             New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale

2006                             “Painted” Poimena Gallery, Launceston

2006                             Art Sydney, Despard Gallery

2008                               The Depot Gallery, Sydney (hosted by Despard Gallery)

Collections:     ABC Ultimo Centre, Sydney

                                    Ansett Hayman Island Resort

                                    Wybin Lawrence TBWA Corporate Collection

                                    Private Collections in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, London, New                                         York, Sweden, Shanghai

FINE ART PUBLICATION

“Infinite Vision” Published Fox Galleries Brisbane