Belgrade Art Studio Residency

Libbet Loughnan Australia

Year of Residency: 2018

Education

  • 1994-1996 Geelong Fine Art School
  • From 2001-2002 intermittent life drawing classes at the Victorian Artists Society in Melbourne (Australia)
  • From 2003-2009 intermittent life drawing classes in the Beijing hutongs (China)
  • 2009-2018 intermittent life drawing classes in the National Arts Club of the USA, Spring Street Studios and the Art Student’s League, in NYC (USA)

Past residencies, Awards

  • October 2017: Shortlisted in Graeme Hildebrand Foundation prize, Red Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
  • Sept 2017: Shortlisted in Toorak Art Walk, Melbourne, Australia
  • March 2016: President’s Prize, National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • Sept – Oct 2015: Obracodobra Art Residency, Oaxaca, Mexico
  • July 2015: First Prize in Art Lab Award 2015 and fully hosted Artist Residency, awarded by Academic Council
  • of the Academia Luciana, Civitella, Italy
  • March 2015: Prize, National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • March 2015: Starry Night Artists’ Residency, New Mexico, USA
  • 2013: Exhibiting member of ASLNYC, NYC, USA

Solo Exhibitions

  • February 2018: Solo exhibition, Ceres Gallery, NYC, USA
  • May 2017: Solo exhibition, Bridge 38, Melbourne, Australia
  • February 2017: Solo exhibition, National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • March – April 2016: Solo exhibition at Qube Gallery, Cebu, Philippines
  • November 2015: Open Studio, Oaxaca, Mexico
  • April 2015: Solo exhibition at Gordon Art Gallery, Geelong, Australia

Fairs

  • Sept 2017: Art Gwangju, Gwangju, Korea
  • May 2015: Select Fair, NYC, USA
  • April 2015: Love Art Fair with Galerie Bruno Massa, Toronto, Canada
  • September 2015: Affordable Art Fair with Galerie Bruno Massa, NYC, USA
  • July 2015: Osaka Art Fair with Galerie Bruno Massa, Osaka, Japan

Group

  • March 2018: National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • March 2018: Salmagundi Club, New York, USA
  • February 2018: Red Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
  • October 2017: Red Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
  • October 2017: Coach House Gallery, Geelong, Australia
  • October 2017: Bellarine Art Trail, Bellarine, Australia
  • June 2017: National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • May 2016: National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • March 2016: National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • March 2016: Golden Plains Open Studios, Golden Plains, Australia
  • March 2016: Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival, Puerto Galera, Philippines
  • February 2016: The Wintergarden Gallery, Geelong, Australia
  • December 2015: Social Good Gallery, with Lark Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
  • July 2015: Shibatacho Gallery, Osaka, Japan
  • May 2015: National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • May 2015: Etch Gallery, Geelong, Australia
  • March 2015: National Arts Club, NYC, USA
  • July 2015: Museum Civitella d'Agliano, Lazio, Italy
  • January – February 2015: Cate De Mi Corazon, Mexico City, Mexico
  • January 2015: Tussock Gallery, Point Lonsdale, Australia
  • November – December 2014: Boom Gallery, Geelong, Australia
  • May 2014: Stadtumbau, Studio Osk, Berlin, Germany

Artist statement

Loughnan’s work explores connectedness and the beautiful fragility of life. The pieces reflect a childhood rich in family warmth in the Australian countryside, stories encountered across countries in adult life, and a desire for more reflection on the place of humans within nature. Her acrylics are recognized for their bright and dark colors and storytelling. Loughnan also produces watercolors on paper, which means one chance in each layer of paint, and sculptures, in order to play with viewers from all perspectives.

Loughnan is increasingly represented in solo shows, including Australia (2013 and 2017), Philippines (2015) and NYC, USA (2017 and 2018). Traveling for art is part of her life, both motivation, creation and dissemination. Group exhibitions span those same countries as well as Germany, and representation in Art fairs in Japan, Korea, Canada, and the USA.

Prizes include shortlisting in the Graeme Hildebrand Foundation prize (Australia 2017), winning the President’s Award at the National Arts Club (NYC, March 2016), and First Prize in Art Lab Award 2015 and fully hosted Residency in Italy, awarded by the Academic Council of Luciana (August 2015).

Loughnan is inspired by artists Frida Kahlo, Tommy Watson, Sidney Nolan, Robert Drummond, Hunt Slonem, Brenda Napaltjarri, Robert Ingpen, her family, by scuba diving and exploring.

Project

– Emphasizing the hope that the artist will really experience living in Belgrade, meeting the locals, etc. I also really appreciate how you are specifically open-minded and non-discriminatory. The world needs more fun and savored exchange across its spectrums.
– The desire (and need) to visit and learn about Serbia:
Personal background I would like to share is that I need to come to a very special event July 7 in Belgrade, the wedding of my Serbian friend I centered my recent solo painting show in NYC around: https://www.instagram.com/p/BfTaJLiH66-/?taken-by=libbet_loughnan . She came to my solo opening in NYC the day before the baby was due! I don't feel I can afford to simply travel as a sight-seeing tourist, nor do I want to… I also I really deeply want to understand Serbia. Many of my closest friends (including her) are from there and I want to understand their heritage. Here is another Serbian friend I often paint: https://www.instagram.com/p/BReWB7QhDVi/?taken-by=libbet_loughnan.  And I would love to learn from your artistic understanding of the city – I see you run tours of street art for example!
– The need to always be working on improving my artistic expression.

Articles and Reviews

Libbet’s website – Visit.

Instagram – libbet_loughnan