Zoe Freney is an artist, writer and academic living on the traditional lands of the Kaurna people in Adelaide, South Australia. Zoe's practice to date explores experiences of mothering and its labours as well as other relational encounters. Recently she has begun research into the surrealist potential of these practices, as expressed in the work of renowned women artists such as Louise Bourgeois and Paula Rego. Zoe is interested in using a psychoanalytical framework to present work that brings attention to the strangeness of the everyday. Zoe is Coordinator BVA and BVA (Honours) at the Adelaide Central School of Art, where she also teaches Art History & Theory. She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy from the Australian National University, where her project employed visual arts methods as well as a hybrid methodology of practice-led research, mess and interruption to investigate representations of mothers and mothering. Her work has been shortlisted for prizes in Australia and exhibited in nationally and internationally.
Zoe Freney Curriculum Vitae April 2024
Education
2022 Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University, Canberra
2016- 2018 PhD candidate, Fine Arts, University of Tasmania (transferred to ANU 2019)
2010 Masters in Arts (Studies in Art History), Adelaide University
2006 Bachelor of Visual Art, Adelaide Centre for the Arts
2005 Diploma of Visual Art, Adelaide Central School of Art
Selected Awards, Residencies and Prizes
2024 FELT Space Summer Residency, Mother-garde, January - February
2023 Finalst, 12th Prospect Portrait Prize
2021 Winner, 11th Prospect Portrait Prize
2021 Finalist, Moran Portrait Prize
2021 Finalist, Tatiara Art Prize
2019 Participant, Artist Residency in Motherhood, A self-directed, open-source artist residency to empower and inspire artists who are also mothers.
2019 Finalist, Tatiara Art Prize
2019 Finalist RSASA Portrait Prize
2018 Finalist, Heysen Art Prize, Hahndorf Academy
2018 RTP Scholarship for PhD research, Australian National University
2018 Finalist, Fleurieu Art Prize, McLaren Vale
2017 Finalist, 9th Prospect Portrait Prize
2017 India Art Engagement Residency Program supported by South Australian Government, UniSA and ACSA
Selected Employment
2022 Coordinator BVA and BVA (Honours), Adelaide Central School of Art
2018 Head of Art History & Theory, Adelaide Central School of Art
2011-ongoing Lecturer, Art History & Theory, Adelaide Central School of Art
2015 Tutor, Studies in Southeast Asian Art History (Masters Program), Adelaide University
Selected Volunteer/Committees
2022 -ongoing. Secretary, Central Studios Incorporated, Adelaide
2018-2024 Committee member, Art History and Curatorial Alumni Network, The University of Adelaide
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2024 I Heart Home, Margaret Preston Gallery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, 11 April – 2 August
2023 Work From Home, Newmarch Gallery, 24 Feb – 25 March
2022 Making the new, normal, Central Gallery, 23 May - 24 June
2018 Motherology, The Collective Haunt, 2 November – 9 December
2016 Part of the furniture, Adelaide City Libraries, Hutt Street, August
2015 Ordinary, Curious, Adelaide South West Community Centre, 6 December – 6 January
International Exhibitions
2020 Everything is Different Now, Stay Home Gallery, Paris, Tennessee, July-October
2019 Re:birth, Spilt Milk Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland, 25 September
2018 Labors: An Exhibition Exploring the Complexities of Motherhood, Pearl Conard Art Gallery at The Ohio State University, Mansfield, February 26 – March 23
2017 Sisters Sangam, Jaipur Art Summit, 14 December -18 December
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 Introspection, Adelaide Town Hall, 24 January – 14 April
2021 Standing on Ceremony, Adelaide Town Hall, 10 November 2021–17 January
2020 Life Forms, Praxis Artspace, Bowden SA, 3 November-6 December
2020 Postcards from Motherhood, The Mill, Adelaide, September
2020 Our Future in the Landscape, Reconciliation Room, Adelaide Town Hall, 25 February – 24 April
2019 Sisters Sangam, Oz Asia Festival, Adelaide, October
2019 Silver Linings, Praxis Artspace, Bowden, SA, 20 June-12 July
2019 Herland: In Search of a Female Utopia, Women’s Library, Newtown, NSW, 8 March – 4 April
2018 Good Mother, Central Gallery, Glenside, 14 August-7 September
2017 I like you: your eyes are full of language, Light Square Gallery, Adelaide, 8 September – 29 September
Conferences
2024 ‘Mother-garde: mother artists at the cutting edge of creativity,’ IAMAS Conference, ‘Mothering and Motherhood: Past, Present, and Future,’ Boston Mass. 21 – 24 June
2022 ‘COVID Collisions: teaching, making, and mothering in the locked-down domestic space,’ ACUADS, Public Pedagogy: forms of togetherness. Brisbane, 11 November
2022 ‘Making the new normal through anecdote and agency,’ AAANZ, Demonstrations, Monash University and The University of Melbourne
1 – 3 December
2019 ‘Artist Mothers and Virtual Collectives: making art and community from home.’ Beyond Mothering Myths. Australian Motherhood Institute for Research and Community Involvement. The University of Sydney, July
2018 ‘Mother Artists: strategies for creativity and care.’ Art Association of Australia and New Zealand, RMIT, December
2017 ‘Art and the Movements of Motherhood,’ FRANfest Symposium, 16-17 September
2015 ‘Vasari and the Perfect Wife: ‘fempathy’ as a strategic method in teaching art histories and theories,’ ACUADS Conference 2015: Art and Design Education in the Global 24/7, 24-25 September 2015, School of Art, Architecture and Design, University of South Australia, online at: http://acuads.com.au/conference/2015-conference/
2010 ‘Imaging the Sacred Chamber: Representing Women And Their Power at The Mughal Court Of Emperor Akbar,’ delivered at the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ) Conference, Tradition and Transformation, at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Selected Published Works
2024 Review: ‘Neoterica,’ Artlink, online, 25 March, https://www.artlink.com.au/articles/5169/neoterica/
2022 Catalogue Essay for Lara Tilbrook, Neoteric, Adelaide Railway Station, 1 March-10 April
2021 Catalogue Essay for Just Add Water Fran Callen at Hahndorf Academy, August
2020 Opening Essay, Jake Holmes, Rocks in the River, Sauerbier House, 30 July-28 September
2020 ‘Artist Mothers and Virtual Collectives: making art and community from home.’ Journal of the Motherhood Initiative. Volume 11, Number 1. Pp.157-166
2019 Honor Freeman on making sense of grief through ceramics, Artguide Australia Online, 25 July
2018 ‘Jude Adams: Narratives from the Family Album.’ Artlink Magazine. Online. 10 December
2018 Ladylike, Fineprint Magazine, Issue 18
2018 ‘A river understands me: Tales of Indian Art Engagement.’ Fineprint Magazine. Issue 14: INTERSECTIONS, April
2018 Mad for more, catalogue essay, Light Square Gallery, Adelaide, August
2018 These Four Walls, Jess Mara, catalogue essay, The Floating Goose, Adelaide, February
2018 Review: Tom Phillips, Suburban Castaway, Art Guide Australia Online, January 2018
Education
2022 Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University, Canberra
2016- 2018 PhD candidate, Fine Arts, University of Tasmania (transferred to ANU 2019)
2010 Masters in Arts (Studies in Art History), Adelaide University
2006 Bachelor of Visual Art, Adelaide Centre for the Arts
2005 Diploma of Visual Art, Adelaide Central School of Art
Selected Awards, Residencies and Prizes
2024 FELT Space Summer Residency, Mother-garde, January - February
2023 Finalst, 12th Prospect Portrait Prize
2021 Winner, 11th Prospect Portrait Prize
2021 Finalist, Moran Portrait Prize
2021 Finalist, Tatiara Art Prize
2019 Participant, Artist Residency in Motherhood, A self-directed, open-source artist residency to empower and inspire artists who are also mothers.
2019 Finalist, Tatiara Art Prize
2019 Finalist RSASA Portrait Prize
2018 Finalist, Heysen Art Prize, Hahndorf Academy
2018 RTP Scholarship for PhD research, Australian National University
2018 Finalist, Fleurieu Art Prize, McLaren Vale
2017 Finalist, 9th Prospect Portrait Prize
2017 India Art Engagement Residency Program supported by South Australian Government, UniSA and ACSA
Selected Employment
2022 Coordinator BVA and BVA (Honours), Adelaide Central School of Art
2018 Head of Art History & Theory, Adelaide Central School of Art
2011-ongoing Lecturer, Art History & Theory, Adelaide Central School of Art
2015 Tutor, Studies in Southeast Asian Art History (Masters Program), Adelaide University
Selected Volunteer/Committees
2022 -ongoing. Secretary, Central Studios Incorporated, Adelaide
2018-2024 Committee member, Art History and Curatorial Alumni Network, The University of Adelaide
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2024 I Heart Home, Margaret Preston Gallery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, 11 April – 2 August
2023 Work From Home, Newmarch Gallery, 24 Feb – 25 March
2022 Making the new, normal, Central Gallery, 23 May - 24 June
2018 Motherology, The Collective Haunt, 2 November – 9 December
2016 Part of the furniture, Adelaide City Libraries, Hutt Street, August
2015 Ordinary, Curious, Adelaide South West Community Centre, 6 December – 6 January
International Exhibitions
2020 Everything is Different Now, Stay Home Gallery, Paris, Tennessee, July-October
2019 Re:birth, Spilt Milk Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland, 25 September
2018 Labors: An Exhibition Exploring the Complexities of Motherhood, Pearl Conard Art Gallery at The Ohio State University, Mansfield, February 26 – March 23
2017 Sisters Sangam, Jaipur Art Summit, 14 December -18 December
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 Introspection, Adelaide Town Hall, 24 January – 14 April
2021 Standing on Ceremony, Adelaide Town Hall, 10 November 2021–17 January
2020 Life Forms, Praxis Artspace, Bowden SA, 3 November-6 December
2020 Postcards from Motherhood, The Mill, Adelaide, September
2020 Our Future in the Landscape, Reconciliation Room, Adelaide Town Hall, 25 February – 24 April
2019 Sisters Sangam, Oz Asia Festival, Adelaide, October
2019 Silver Linings, Praxis Artspace, Bowden, SA, 20 June-12 July
2019 Herland: In Search of a Female Utopia, Women’s Library, Newtown, NSW, 8 March – 4 April
2018 Good Mother, Central Gallery, Glenside, 14 August-7 September
2017 I like you: your eyes are full of language, Light Square Gallery, Adelaide, 8 September – 29 September
Conferences
2024 ‘Mother-garde: mother artists at the cutting edge of creativity,’ IAMAS Conference, ‘Mothering and Motherhood: Past, Present, and Future,’ Boston Mass. 21 – 24 June
2022 ‘COVID Collisions: teaching, making, and mothering in the locked-down domestic space,’ ACUADS, Public Pedagogy: forms of togetherness. Brisbane, 11 November
2022 ‘Making the new normal through anecdote and agency,’ AAANZ, Demonstrations, Monash University and The University of Melbourne
1 – 3 December
2019 ‘Artist Mothers and Virtual Collectives: making art and community from home.’ Beyond Mothering Myths. Australian Motherhood Institute for Research and Community Involvement. The University of Sydney, July
2018 ‘Mother Artists: strategies for creativity and care.’ Art Association of Australia and New Zealand, RMIT, December
2017 ‘Art and the Movements of Motherhood,’ FRANfest Symposium, 16-17 September
2015 ‘Vasari and the Perfect Wife: ‘fempathy’ as a strategic method in teaching art histories and theories,’ ACUADS Conference 2015: Art and Design Education in the Global 24/7, 24-25 September 2015, School of Art, Architecture and Design, University of South Australia, online at: http://acuads.com.au/conference/2015-conference/
2010 ‘Imaging the Sacred Chamber: Representing Women And Their Power at The Mughal Court Of Emperor Akbar,’ delivered at the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ) Conference, Tradition and Transformation, at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Selected Published Works
2024 Review: ‘Neoterica,’ Artlink, online, 25 March, https://www.artlink.com.au/articles/5169/neoterica/
2022 Catalogue Essay for Lara Tilbrook, Neoteric, Adelaide Railway Station, 1 March-10 April
2021 Catalogue Essay for Just Add Water Fran Callen at Hahndorf Academy, August
2020 Opening Essay, Jake Holmes, Rocks in the River, Sauerbier House, 30 July-28 September
2020 ‘Artist Mothers and Virtual Collectives: making art and community from home.’ Journal of the Motherhood Initiative. Volume 11, Number 1. Pp.157-166
2019 Honor Freeman on making sense of grief through ceramics, Artguide Australia Online, 25 July
2018 ‘Jude Adams: Narratives from the Family Album.’ Artlink Magazine. Online. 10 December
2018 Ladylike, Fineprint Magazine, Issue 18
2018 ‘A river understands me: Tales of Indian Art Engagement.’ Fineprint Magazine. Issue 14: INTERSECTIONS, April
2018 Mad for more, catalogue essay, Light Square Gallery, Adelaide, August
2018 These Four Walls, Jess Mara, catalogue essay, The Floating Goose, Adelaide, February
2018 Review: Tom Phillips, Suburban Castaway, Art Guide Australia Online, January 2018
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