Allison Barnes

 

Allison Barnes is a conceptual, mixed media artist based in Canberra on Ngunnawal country.  She is interested in the environment, including both the natural environment and our social environment, and our structural relationship with it.  She explores these themes by combining and juxtaposing materials; waste and found objects; and textures in painting, print and sculpture.  Her works grow from the interaction between, and exploration of the properties of these materials and processes.

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After completing a Certificate 4 in Visual Arts at Canberra Institute of Technology Allison graduated from the Australian National University School of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Visual Arts with Honours in 2021.​

 

Allison is currently participating in the Sharing Stories Arts Exchange, a creative project building positive reciprocal relationships between the Canberra community and local regional Indigenous communities.
 

Awards and Prizes

2021 ANU School of Art & Design Emerging Artist Support Scheme (EASS) Awards including the;

• ACT Legislative Assembly Prize,

• Megalo Print Studio Residency Award,

• Altenburg & Co Gallery Exhibition Award; and

• Art Monthly Australasia Subscription Award.

2023 Capital Arts Patrons Organisation Boris Property Emerging Artist Award.

 

Exhibitions

2016, 2022 Canberra Contemporary Art Space Members Show

2017 ANU Random Exhibition

2018 Inner North Art Prize, Lyneham, finalist

2019 The Long Way Round Exhibition, Ambush Gallery 2019

2019 Graduation Exhibition, ANU School of Art and Design

2020 M16 Gallery Chutespace, Lifted from the Plane

2021 Honours Graduation Exhibition, ANU School of Art and Design

2022 M16 ANU Honours Graduates Group Exhibition

2022 Megalo Print Studio National Graduate online exhibition FUTURE PROOF - twenty-one emerging printmakers from across Australia and New Zealand.

2022 Carved, collaborative exhibition project between Thor’s Hammer and Megalo Print Studio which explored the use of salvaged and recycled timbers as matrix, surface, support, or inspiration to develop new works in print media.

2022 Translations - Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Manuka, ACT (joint exhibition with Lisa Wilmot)

2023 Lost series, solo exhibition, Studio Altenburg, Braidwood

2023 ACT Legislative Assembly Speaker’s Award 2019–2021 Group Exhibition (These three works were acquired for inclusion in the ACT Legislative Assembly Art Permanent Collection)

2024 A Sense of Fragility, CCAS Manuka, solo exhibition

2025 Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, finalist

2026 Australian National Capital Artists Tenant Group show

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