Born and raised in rural Switzerland Brigit came to Australia in 1998 as an international student. After a Bachelor of Fine Arts at VCA Brigit did complete a Masters of Visual Art at Monash University. Brigit has been a practicing artist for over 20 years whilst also lecturing and teaching Visual Art in a tertiary environment. Brigit is currently living on Wurundjeri Country where she is lucky to be work in an amazing studio space.
Brigit’s art practice is often material led and is inspired by the qualities and possibilities they offer. She is fascinated by the resistance and unyielding nature of metal whilst transforming the hard material into organic shapes with visual impact as well as tactile qualities.
Brigit is a keen observer of the natural as well as the man-made environment. She is constantly attempting to build bridges between the two worlds and to create an experience for her audiences. At the core of her practice, Brigit wishes to draw attention to the fragile nature of our ecological environment.
Brigit is interested in exploring a variety of traditional and sometimes feminine art and craft techniques and processes. Her works are woven, welded, crocheted, black-smithed and other methods that hold the promise to achieve desired forms.
Brigit has held a number of solo exhibitions around Australia and has been a finalist in the Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, the McClelland Survey & Award, The Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award and the Lorne Sculpture Biennale to name just a few. She has won the National Gallery of Victoria Trustees Award, the World Sculpture News Prize, the Moonee Valley aRtECYCLE Award, the Regional Artist Award at the Lorne Sculpture Biennale and the Toorak Village Sculpture Prize with her work being highly commended in many other competitions.
Over recent years Brigit has created a variety of public artworks that can be found in Tasmania, Ballarat, Bendigo and Melbourne, with the most recent work installed at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne.
Solo Exhibitions
2024 ‘The Holding’ – Qdos, Lorne
2018 ‘Solitude, visitors and the village’ Montsalvat Eltham
2016 ‘Between the Light and Darkness’ Stockroom Kyneton
2016 ‘Water and Sky” Manyung Gallery, Malvern
2015 “Brigit Heller” Manyung Gallery, Mount Eliza
2012 “I don’t want to drown” Mars Gallery Melbourne
2005 “The Other Side” Icon Museum of Art, Deakin University
2005 “Island”, McClelland Sculpture Park, Langwarrin
2001 “His and Hers”, The Band Hall Gallery, Kyneton
2000 “The Graft” an installation on Herring Island, Melbourne
Education
Masters of Visual Arts, Monash University, Melbourne
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Victorian College of the Art, Melbourne
Certificate of Art and Design, Auckland Institute of Technology