Judy Oakenfull makes contemporary landscape and botanical paintings inspired by experiences in her local environment. Recently her focus has been on coastal landscapes with an emphasis on coastal bushland and flora. After spending time at these places, she uses observation, intuition and imagination to interpret her experiences into painterly form. In doing so she also processes ideas and concerns about our wider cultural relationship to natural places. This results in dreamlike imaginative landscapes, evocative seascapes and empathic botanical works.
Plants are important elements in her landscapes, highlighting their importance in the ecosystem, and referencing an increasing awareness of their sentient qualities by scientists and theorists. Compositionally, they sometimes act more like figures in the landscape. Inspired by Post Impressionist and more minimal contemporary painting styles, the work aims to represent a feeling of being in natural places, more than a visually accurate representation. Colours may be subdued or exaggerated. Compositions may shift and elements may be added or subtracted in the studio. A sense of overall harmony is sought within the work, as she tries to capture some of the sense of calm and grounding that can be found in the bush or by the ocean.
Judy Oakenfull is an artist based in Murwillumbah, Northern NSW. She has a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting) from the Victorian College of the Arts, and has had many solo and group exhibitions in Melbourne, the Northern Rivers and Queensland. Solo exhibitions include “Floral Appreciation” at the Tweed Regional Gallery in 2020 and “Wild Coast” at Anthea Polson Art in 2022. Oakenfull’s work can also be seen in street art projects in Murwillumbah and is in collections in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and overseas.
EDUCATION
2001
Bachelor of Fine Art, Painting
Victorian College of the Arts
1994
Associate Diploma of Fine Art (1st year)
Boxhill Tafe
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
Sitting by the Ocean, Hanging out with Plants,
OneB Gallery, M|Arts, Murwillumbah
2022
Wild Coast
Anthea Polson Art, Gold Coast
2020
Floral Appreciation
Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre, Murwillumbah
2017
Nature Portraits
Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Ballina
2009
Human Natures
CPM Gallery, Murwillumbah
2006
Unrennovation
Red Gallery, Contemporary Art Space, Melbourne
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021
Bloom
Weswal Gallery, Tamworth
2020
Hello Again
Lennox Art Collective, Lennox Head
2019
Facade,
Tweed Regional Gallery Downtown Murwillumbah
2019
In situ
, M-arts downstairs gallery, Murwillumbah
2019
Metamorphosis
M-arts downstairs gallery, Murwillumbah
2018
An exhibition of four local Artists, M-Arts upstairs gallery - Murwillumbah
2018
Regenerate
| Murwillumbah Art Trail - Murwillumbah
2017
The Flower Show
M-Arts - Murwillumbah
2016
Botanicus |
Murwillumbah Art Trail - Murwillumbah
2015
Arts Northern Rivers Pop-up
|Tweed - Murwillumbah
2015
Prospero Street Pop-up|
Murwillumbah Art Trail
2008
The Door Snake Project
Platform Artist Group @ Degraves St Subway - Melbourne
2006
Nicholas: The life of a Building
, Blindside Artist Run Space - Melbourne
2001
Wallara Travelling Scholarship
, Finalist exhibition. V.C.A. Gallery - Southbank
AWARDS
2021.
Finalist BAM Art Prize, Northern NSW
2019
Finalist Lethbridge 20000 Art Award, Brisbane
2018 Finalist BAM art Prize, Byron Bay
2018 Finalist Gallery 7 Art Prize, Byron Bay
2017 Finalist 30 x 30 Art Prize. Art Piece Gallery
2013 Highly Commended, Border Art Prize, Gold Coast Art Gallery
2001 Stella Dilger Award. V.C.A.
2001 Finalist Wallara Travelling Scholarship
2000 Special Mention, “Victorian Campus Art Prize”
Based in Murwillumbah NSW Australia
OTHER
2020
Artist Curator
Ordinary Love
Group Exhibition at The Field, Murwillumbah
2018 Studio Artist at M-arts Murwillumbah
2013-18 Facilitator Disability Art/Craft group at Lifebridge Pty Ltd.
2017 Artist Participant in '1000 words' Art and literacy program NRCG