Grace Costa
Grace Costa Biography
Australian born, Grace Costa has spent the past 19 years building her career as a commercial photographer and most recently, a photographic artist. She has built a multi-award-winning portfolio in this time for her creative work.
In 2014, ‘Portrait of Minika’ ensured a finalist position for Grace in the prestigious National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.
Grace’s heart lies with contemporary portraiture where she is best known for her striking portraits of horses, developed from her history with horses growing up where she learned everything from her father, a well-respected horse trainer of 50 years and specialist in horse behaviour. She has turned equine art on its head and brought it into the 21st century with contemporary and imaginative portraits of the horses she so carefully selects for her collections. She was unable to find contemporary and stylish art that represented the way she saw horses and reflected her intimate relationship with them, so she created art from her imagination.
Her first equine series title HORSE has captured the hearts of many, being her most successful exhibition while it travelled around Australia including being featured in the Head On Photo Festival. The success of HORSE led her to presenting a TEDx Canberra talk titled Connecting to your creative truth through personal story in 2017.
Grace has achieved multiple industry awards and featured in numerous respected Australian publications, such as Photo Review, Equine Magazine, Interiors Addict blog & Art Edit magazine and in 2019 she adds Film Producing to her portfolio as she launches a collaboration with Tenalphas Productions on her first-ever short film based around her father’s life with horses, The Narrabundah Boy.
Grace Costa Resumé
Education:
- 2000 - 2002 Advanced Diploma of Commercial Photography, Canberra Institute of Technology
- 2018 - 2019 Diploma Digital Marketing, Digital Marketing Institute
Achievements:
- 2019 Executive Producer The Narrabundah Boy short film featured in the Canberra Short Film Festival
- 2017 TEDx Canberra Speaker
- 2017 Highly Commended XI World Polo Art Exhibition
- 2015 Shortlisted Fremantle International Portrait Prize
- 2014 Finalist National Photographic Portrait Prize
- 2014 Gold ACT AIPP Awards
- 2013 Awarded AIPP Associate Photographer status
- 2013 Finalist Fremantle International Portrait Prize
- 2013 Elected ACT AIPP Council Member
- 2013 2x Silver APPA Awards
- 2012 Winner Click 12 Prize, BSG Gallery Melbourne
- 2012 Silver International Loupe Awards
- 2011 Silver International Loupe Awards
- 2011 Silver Distinction APPA Awards
- 2011 3x Silver APPA Awards
- 2010 Silver International Loupe Awards
- 2010 Silver APPA Awards
Exhibitions:
- 2019 Equine - QT Hotel Canberra
- 2019 Group - Spotted- (Beauty in Difference) curated by Grace Costa, M16 Artspace, Canberra
- 2019 The Narrabundah Boy, Short film premier, Palace Electric Cinema, Canberra
- 2017 Horse - Logan Gallery, Queensland
- 2017 Horse - Weswal Gallery, Tamworth
- 2016 Horse - Nishi Gallery, NewActon Canberra
- 2016 Loud and Luminous, Brunswick St Gallery, Melbourne
- 2016 Still - Grace Costa, Weswal Gallery, Tamworth
- 2015 Still - Grace Costa and Mark Mohell, Gaffa Gallery, Sydney
- 2015 Group - Activism Photo Access, Canberra
- 2014 Group - National Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
- 2014 Group - On Film, Photo Access Members Show, Canberra
- 2013 Group - (mixed media show) Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
- 2013 RAW Canberra showcase
- 2013 Buck'd Off 2042 Gallery, Sydney
- 2012 Buck'd Off Kaori Gallery, Canberra
- 2012 Buck'd Off Tuggerangong Arts Centre, Canberra
- 2012 Buck'd Off Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
- 2012 Click 12 Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
- 2012 Kodak Salon Awards CCP, Melbourne
- 2012 Tuggeranong Art Prize, Canberra
- 2011 Kodak Salon Awards CCP, Melbourne
- 2002 Graduating Exhibition CIT Reid, Canberra
Curation and Exhibition Management:
- Metamorphosis - Strathnairn Arts, Sarah McCarthur King
- All things Created - Strathnairn Arts, Jan Vincent
Published
- Atelier Podcast
- Interiors Addict blog
- Equine Magazine - Feature article
- The Eye Creative - Feature article
- Art Edit Magazine
- Dream Believe Do - online magazine
- Horsewyse Magazine -Feature article
- TEDx Canberra
- Canberra Times - Feature article
- Her Canberra - Feature article
- Photo Review Magazine- Feature article
- Big Ink Magazine - Feature article
- 100 Year Centenary of The Royal Military College Duntroon book
- Duntroon Stamp collection
- Department of Defence- Military Service newspapers
- Art Almanac
- Canberra Weekly
- Bungendore News
