CV/BIO

Born Sydney, Australia
e. louisa.chircop@gmail.com
Represented @mariegallery5 Marie Gallery5 and Art Advisory Sliema, Malta
Represented @galerieheimat Galerie Heimat Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France
Managed @post_space_exter Diana Palmer (Exhibition & Acquisition Consultant) Palmer Art Projects, Australia.

Education

2000 Master of Fine Arts Research, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW
1997 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours Class 1, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW
1993 Associate Diploma in Fine Arts, St George College of TAFE

Education Scholarships/Awards

1998 Australian Post Graduate Award Scholarship, College of Fine Arts UNSW
1997 Chancellor’s Award for outstanding achievement, College of Fine Arts UNSW
1993 Basil and Muriel Hooper Scholarship, Art Gallery of NSW
State Commission Medal - Highest pass in Fine Arts Diploma, NSW TAFE
Highest Achievement Award, St George College of TAFE

Solo Exhibitions

2025 ‘Grotto Girl’, MUZA National Museum of Art, Valletta, Malta (Upcoming)
2023 ‘Shadow Sanctuary’ , Marie Gallery5 and Art Advisory, Sliema Malta
2022 ‘In the wake of…’, Hurstville Museum and Gallery, Sydney
‘Nebuchadnezzar Tree Dreaming - Works on paper and ceramics’, Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, Nowra
2020 ‘Come shower with me’, The SHAC Gallery, Robertson
2016 ‘Riversdale Dreaming’, PLC Adelaide Perry Gallery, Sydney
2015 ‘Interior Monologue – A Carousel’, Moran Gallery, Sydney
2015 ‘Penny for my Thoughts’, A-­M Gallery, Sydney
2013 ‘A Scattering Of Pages’, (Art Month artist) A-­M Gallery, Sydney
2012 ‘Breathing Life Into Pieces’, Sheffer Gallery, Sydney
2009 ‘Dig’, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, Sydney
2003 ‘With A Twist’, A‐Space Gallery, Sydney
2000 ‘Metaphor as Autobiography’, Kudos Gallery, Sydney

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024 ‘Revealed: Hidden treasures from the art collection’- Curated exhibition, Hurstville Museum and Gallery (upcoming)
‘Passion for Painting’, Marlene Antico’s personal selection of National Paddington Art Prize finalists (Online)
‘Life in Working IV’, Broadhurst Gallery, Hazelhurst Arts Centre (upcoming)
‘Hazelhurst Painter Teacher’, Broadhurst Gallery, Hazelhurst Arts Centre (upcoming)
‘Women at Altitude’ - Celebrating Women artists in the Kedumba Collection, Blue Mountains Grammar School, Wentworth Falls
‘Kaloskagathos’, presented by Palmer Art Projects, Post Space, Exeter
2023 ‘In the Arms of Unconsciousness - Women, Feminism and the Surreal’, A landmark cross-generational exhibition bringing together 22 significant and leading female Australian Artists that examines feminism and the Surreal curated by Carrie Kibbler, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney
‘MARA’ Second Edition Collective Showcase, Curated by Maria Galea, Bureau Iniala, Valletta, Malta
‘Life in Working Art III - Hazelhurst Teachers and Preparators’, Broadhurst Gallery, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney
2022 ‘ACB - Selects’ , Amber Creswell Bell’s Selection from the ‘National Emerging Artist Prize’, Michael Reid Northern Beaches Gallery Online
’In the Flesh’ - Invitational Artoure Contemporary Group Exhibition, Comber St Gallery, Sydney
’Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize’ - Adelaide Perry Gallery PLC, Sydney
’Exposition Ateliers’ - DRAWinternational Artist Residency Exhibition, Caylus, France
2021 ‘Life in Working Art II - Hazelhurst Teachers and Preparators’, Broadhurst Gallery, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney
‘Splash McClelland Contemporary Watercolour Award’, McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, Victoria
‘Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award’ - Hazelhurst Arts Centre and Gallery, Sydney
‘Paddington Art Prize’, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
‘Milburn Art Prize’ - Brisbane Institute of Art, Brisbane
‘Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize’ - Adelaide Perry Gallery PLC, Sydney
‘Reciprocity: A collaboration between painters and ceramicists’, curated by Caitlin Casey, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney
'Movers and Shapers II - Women | Land | Sculpture’, Broadhurst Gallery Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney
2020 ‘Hazelhurst 2020’ - Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney
‘Exposition Noël_002’, Galerie Heimat, St Remy Provence, France
‘Paddington Art Prize’, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
‘John Copes Portrait Prize’ Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral
2019 ‘Exposition Noël_001’, Galerie Heimat, St Remy Provence, France
‘Everyday Madonna’ - curated by Jenny Cheeseman, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Sydney
‘Connexions Silencieuses’ - curated by Nicky Ginsberg, Eglise St Laurent Eygalières, France
2018 'Movers and Shapers - Women and the Land', Broadhurst Gallery Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney
'The Way We See Ourselves', curated by Caitlan Casey, Westend Art space and Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne
2017 'Land'-curated by Katherine Roberts, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Sydney
 ‘Artist Profile: Australasian Painters 2007-2017’, Orange Regional Gallery, Orange
'Three Painters' , McGlade Gallery ACU, Sydney
'Portia Geach Memorial Award', National Trust SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
'Fisher's Ghost Art Award',Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
2016 ‘Fisher’s Ghost Art Award’, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
'Art Fair Philippines' – Gajah Gallery Manila
'Art Stage Singapore' – Gajah Gallery, Singapore
'Vantage Points' Art Month, Art Est, Sydney
2014 'The Democracy of Drawing', Art Month, AirSpace Projects, Sydney
'Home' Gallery Represented Artists, A‐M Gallery, Sydney
'Fisher's Ghost Art Award', Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
2013 ‘Kedumba Drawing Award’, Wild Valley Art Park, Wentworth Falls, Sydney
‘The Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings’, Orange Arts and Health, Orange Regional Gallery, Orange

Selected Awards and Prizes

2024 Winner - ‘Highly Commended’ - National ‘Paddington Art Prize’, Art Leven Gallery, Sydney
Finalist - National Acquisitive ‘Paddington Art Prize’, Cooee Art Leven Gallery, Sydney
Finalist - ‘Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing’, Adelaide Perry Gallery PLC, Sydney
2023 Finalist - ‘Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award’, Hazelhurst Arts Centre and Gallery, Sydney
Finalist - National Acquisitive ‘Paddington 20th Anniversary Art Prize’, Art Leven Gallery, Sydney
2022 Finalist - ‘M16 Artspace Drawing Prize’ , M16 Artspace, Griffith ACT
Finalist - ‘Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing’, Adelaide Perry Gallery PLC Sydney, Sydney
2021 Winner - ‘Highly Commended’ - ‘Paddington Art Prize’, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
Finalist - ‘Splash McClelland Contemporary Watercolour Award’ (acquisitive), McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, Victoria
Finalist - ‘Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award’, Hazelhurst Arts Centre and Gallery, Sydney
Finalist - ‘Milburn Art Prize’, Brisbane Institute of Art, Brisbane
Finalist - ‘Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing’, Adelaide Perry Gallery PLC Sydney, Sydney
2020 Winner - ‘John Copes Portrait Prize’, Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral
Finalist - ‘Paddington Art Prize’, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
Semi Finalist - ‘BAM Art Prize’
2019 Recipient - DRAWinternational Artist-in-Residence Program 2022, Caylus, France
Finalist - ‘Hazelhurst Art On Paper Award’, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney
Semi Finalist - ‘Doug Moran National Portrait Prize’, Juniper Hall, Sydney
2018 Winner (inaugural) 'Vincent Art Prize' Duckrabbit Gallery, Sydney
Winner - NG Art Creative Residency Prize, Eygalieres Provence, France
Finalist - Open section - ‘Fisher’s Ghost Art Award’, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
Finalist - ‘BAM Art Prize’, Thomgallery, Byron Bay
Recipient - Georges River Council Artist-in-Residence for 2021, Sydney
2017 Winner - ‘Fisher's Ghost James Gleeson Surrealism Award’, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
Finalist - 'Portia Geach Memorial Award' National Trust SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Finalist - Open & Contemporary sections - ‘Fisher’s Ghost Art Award’, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
2015 Winner - ‘Hazelhurst Works on Paper Friends of Hazelhurst Prize’, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Sydney
Finalist - Open & Contemporary sections ’Fisher’s Ghost Art Award’, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
2014 Finalist - Open & Contemporary sections ‘Fisher’s Ghost Art Award’, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
2013 Winner - ‘Fisher’s Ghost James Gleeson Surrealism Award’ (inaugural), Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
Winner - ‘Kedumba Drawing Award’, Wild Valley Art Park, Wentworth Falls, Sydney
Finalist - Works on Paper & Contemporary sections, ‘Fisher’s Ghost Art Award’, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
Finalist - ‘Cliftons Emerging Art Prize’, Sydney
2012 Finalist - ‘Dobell Drawing Prize’, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Finalist - Open & Contemporary sections, ‘Fisher’s Ghost Art Award’, Campbelltown Regional Gallery, Sydney
Short-­listed - ‘Mount Eyre Art Prize’, David Rex Livingston Gallery, Sydney

Artist Residencies

2025 Upcoming Recipient (awarded) Artist-in-Residence MUZA National Gallery of Art, Valletta, Malta
2022 Recipient (awarded) DRAWinternational Artist-in-Residence Program, Caylus, France
2021 Recipient (awarded) Georges River Council Artist-in-Residence Program, Sydney
2018 NG Art Creative Residency (winner), Eygalières Provence, France
Recipient (awarded) Artist -in-Residence Bundanon Trust, Nowra
2016 PLC Croydon (invitational) Artist-in-Residence, Sydney

 Collections

The Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawing, Orange Regional Gallery
Cambelltown Arts Centre
Hurstville Museum and Gallery
PLC Sydney, Adelaide Perry Gallery, Sydney
Michael and Marilyn Reardon-­Small Collection
International Drawing Institute Archive, COFA UNSW
Josef Lebovic Gallery Collection, Sydney
Southern Sydney Institute of TAFE
And private collections in Sydney, France, Malta, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong

Selected Publications

Jane O’Sullivan, Vault magazine, ‘Fever Dream’, Surrealism Issue 47, (Essay mentioning group show and Image of exhibition), Aug to Oct 2024, pp 142 & 144
Diana Palmer ‘KALOSKAGATHOS’ (Essay accompanying exhibition, follow link to read exhibition essay), 10 Feb 2024
Lea Hogg, ‘Maghkom’, Net on Demand live streaming Malta TV (feature interview), 14 Nov 2023
Mariella Pisani Bencini, ’Meander Arti u Kultura’ Arts and Culture series (feature interview), Net on Demand live streaming Malta TV, 27 Nov 2023
Carrie Kibbler and essays by Courtney Kidd, Chloe Wolifson & Kathleen Lin, ‘In the Arms of Unconsciousness - Women, Feminism and the Surreal’,
August 22 2023 (Digital Catalogue accompanying exhibition)
Judith Blackall, Review, Artist Profile, August 31 2023, (online article)
John McDonald, Review, ‘The Sydney Morning Herald - Spectrum’, July 29 2023
John McDonald, Image & Review, ‘The Sydney Morning Herald - Spectrum’, August 1 2023 (website)
Mariella Pisani Bencini, ’Meander Arti u Kultura’ Arts and Culture series, Net on Demand live streaming Malta TV, May 5 2023
Katya Gineve Scicluna, ‘Malta and Beyond Series - Maltin Bhalna - Malta U Lil Hinn Minnha’, TVM Malta, Oct 23 2022
Dr Gareth Jenkins and Essay by Caitlin Casey Curator ‘Reciprocity’ (Accompanying Book Publication by Apothecary Archive for Exhibition), June 13 2021
Maria Stoljar ‘Talking With Painters -Filippa Buttitta with Louisa Chircop’ - Episode 109 Australian Podcast series May 2021
Maria Stoljar ‘Talking With Painters- Louisa Chircop’ - Episode 95 Australian Podcast series August 2020
Hazelhurst Arts Centre Friends of Hazelhurst News ‘Artist Spotlight’ April 2020
Jenny Cheeseman ‘Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre online catalogue Everyday Madonna’ May 2019
Susannah Smith 'Runway-Australian Experimental Art' Issue #32, November 2016
Rose Niland ‘The Culture Concept Circle, June 23 2015
Lucy Stranger Issue #31 ‘Artist Profile Magazine Feature’, June 16 2015
Andrew Frost Critics’ pick, SMH, Feb 12 2015
Sharne Wolff 'The Art Life', Feb 6 2015
The Art Life –New Work Friday feature, Jan 2015
Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre/ Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award
Artist Profile, June 2, 2015
Chloe Wolifson, Preview, 2014
Carrie Miller ‘The Art Life’, 2013
Andrew Frost Critics’ pick, SMH, Feb 17 2012

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Sydney, Chircop holds an Associate Diploma in Fine Arts from St George TAFE and was awarded the NSW State Commission medal for fine arts. She has won the Basil Muriel and Hooper Scholarship AGNSW. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Class1 and a Master of Fine Arts Research degree in painting both from the College of Fine Arts UNSW assisted by an Australian Post Graduate Award Scholarship.

Chircop has been a finalist in the Dobell Prize AGNSW; the Portia Geach Memorial Award exhibited at the SH Ervin Gallery; Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize at the Adelaide Perry Gallery PLC Sydney and the Triennial McClelland Splash Contemporary Watercolour Award held at McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery in Victoria Australia supported by the Fornari Bequest. Her work was acquired from the Kedumba Drawing Award for the Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings which is considered one of the most significant and important collections in Australia. She has won the James Gleeson Prize for Surrealism at Campbelltown Arts Centre twice, the FOH Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award, the John Copes Portrait Prize, The Paddington Art Prize Highly Commended Prize and twice been the Critics’ Choice of Guardian Art Critic and ABC Arts Presenter Andrew Frost. In 2015 she was a feature artist in Artist Profile magazine and most recently in 2018 she was awarded the coveted Bundanon Trust Artist-in-residence as well as awarded residencies with Hurstville Regional Art Gallery and Museum and DRAWinternational Residency in Caylus France.  Chircop has twice recently been invited as a podcast guest on Maria Stoljar’s highly esteemed and very popular ‘Talking with Painters’ Australian podcast series and was recently featured in an international cultural documentary ‘Malta and Beyond’ filmed at MUZA (National Museum of Art Malta) in 2022 for TVM Malta.

Most recently, her work was reviewed by acclaimed Australian art critic John McDonald in the Sydney Morning Herald Spectrum as part of a landmark first exhibition in Australia called ‘In the Arms of Unconsciousness- Women, Feminism and the Surreal’ at Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney. A cross generational survey exhibition featuring the work of 22 Australian leading and significant female contemporary artists.

She is represented by Marie Gallery5 and Art Advisory Sliema, Malta and Galerie Heimat in France.