Zoë MacDonell is an Australian-based artist represented by Nanda Hobbs gallery in Sydney. MacDonell’s practice spans across media—drawing, painting and textiles. The artist was born in England and lived in Africa and America before settling in Australia in 1993. She received a Bachelor of Applied Arts (hons) from the College of Fine Arts (COFA) at the University of New South Wales. Following her studies, MacDonell taught at COFA and the University of Technology between 2002 and 2018. MacDonell’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, including the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States. She has been the recipient of numerous artist in residency scholarships and programs including Artspace Contemporary Art Centre; Hill End through the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery; Bundanon, Arthur Boyd’s property; aboard the Marina Svetaeva in Antarctica; and the Royal Overseas Leagues in London and Scotland. MacDonell has received numerous grants, specifically, from the Australia Council for Arts; Arts NSW and the National Association for the Visual Arts. The artist’s work has been celebrated in numerous awards, including the Fleurieu Biennale and the Mosman Art Prize. MacDonell’s portrait by Angus McDonald was hung in the 2009 Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. MacDonell’s work will be at Sydney Contemporary Art Prize, Sydney, 2024. MacDonell is currently creating a solo exhibition.

Zoë has exhibited her work across Australia and internationally. She has been the recipient of numerous artist in residency scholarships and programs including in Australia at Artspace Contemporary Art Centre; Hill End through the Bathurst Regional Art gallery; Bundanon, Arthur Boyd’s property; aboard the Marina Svetaeva in Antarctica; and the Royal Overseas Leagues in London and Scotland. Zoë has received numerous grants, including from the Australia Council for Arts; Arts NSW and the National Association for the Visual Arts; works have also been finalists in the Fleurieu Biennale and the Mosman Art Prize. Zoe is represented in Sydney by Nanda Hobbs gallery and has had 4 successful solo exhibitions there between 2014 and 2018.

MacDonell’s work is constructed from delicate silk and finely cut paper with drawn and painted elements. Her materials and forms assume opposing identities- fine slithers of paper take on the mannerisms of thread, while layers of silk contrastingly become reminiscent of swathes of paper. These materials represent fragments of our human existence, symbolising our greater community and the need for us all to unify, to ‘come together’- an activity intrinsically required to manufacture both materials utilised. 

The compositions are complex like layered data- ideas flow and interweave together. Imagery is drawn from observing universal forms in the natural world, while textures are inspired by intimate details of the landscape. Informed by mapping of aerial topography- the correlation between the micro and macro. The Vibrations series examines how we move through time and space while also with each other. Energy streams moving through the human brain and body mimic ways energy moves through the cosmos.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:                                                                                                                                    

2002         Printmaking Course, National School of Art, Sydney, Australia.                       
1998-02    Bachelor of Applied Arts, College of Fine Art, University of New South Wales (Hons).

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS: SOLO

2017         Stealing Fire, Nanda\Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney.
2016         Tapestry of Night, Nanda\Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney.
2015         Liquid Edge, Nanda\Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney.
2014         Sweet Edge, Art Equity, Sydney (Nanda\Hobbs Contemporary).
2010         Antarctic Separation, Chalk Horse, Sydney.
2009         Ecstatic Shadow, BUS Gallery, Artist Run Initiative, Melbourne.
2008         Soft Tension, Window, Grantpirrie Gallery, Sydney.
                  Shadows on the Floor, Chalk Horse, Sydney.
2007         Small Worlds, Amelia Johnson Contemporary, Hong Kong.
2004         An Illusion to Move Me, ‘twocubes’ at Sherman Galleries, Sydney.     

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS: GROUP

2024         Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Nanda Hobbs, Sydney.
2022         Group, Nanda Hobbs, Sydney.
2018         Summer Exhibition, Nanda Hobbs, Sydney.
2017         Summer Exhibition, Nanda Hobbs, Sydney.
2016         Summer Show 2016, Metro Gallery, Melbourne.
                 Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design, The Delmar Gallery, Trinity Grammer School, Sydney.
                 Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney. 
2015         Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design, Geraldton Regional Art Gallery,WA
2015         Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney. 
                 Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design, Cairns Regional Art Gallery, QLD.
                 Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design, Tamworth Regional Art Gallery, NSW.
2014         Signal 8, Cat St Gallery, Hong Kong.
                 Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Katoomba, NSW.                                                
                 DesignEx: Workshopped, Glebe Island Exhibition Centre, Sydney.
                 Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design; Object: Australian Design Centre.
                 Group Exhibition, Art Equity, Sydney.
2013         Fleurieu Art Prize Finalist Exhibition, curated by Nigel Hurst Director Saatchi Gallery London,
                 McLaren Vale and The  Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.
2012         Te Art of Making a Difference, Lloyds International, Australian Technology Park, Sydney.
                  Here we Are, MICK Gallery, Sydney.
                  Funeral Songs Project, Museum of Old and New Art MONA, Tasmania.
2011          Royal Overseas Visual Arts Scholarship, gallery@oxo, OXO Tower Gallery, London.
                  Young Guns, COMODAA, London.
2009         Postcard show, Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW.
2008         ABN AMRO (now Royal Bank of Scotland Emerging Artist Award), Finalist Exhibition, Chifley Plaza.
2007         Helen Lempriere, Finalist Exhibition, Artspace Visual Arts Centre, Sydney.
                  Reindeer, Chalk Horse, Sydney.
                  Square Dance, First Draft Gallery, NSW.
2006         Match Box Projects, International Design Center Nagoya, Nagoya, Japan.
                  Match Box Projects, Gosford Regional Art Gallery, NSW.
                  Blurring the Boundaries, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, NSW
                  Strange Worlds, China Heights, Sydney.
                   Workshopped 06, Installation in Chifley Plaza during Sydney Design Week, NSW, Sydney.
                  Heart of Australia, Artspace, Adelaide.
                  Post-it, Satellite Event for the Sydney Biennale, Pelaton Gallery, Sydney.
2005         Workshopped 05, Installation in Strand Arcade during Sydney Design Week, Pitt St, Sydney.
2004         Artful Mining, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, NSW.
                 Tyranny of Distance, Tokyo Designers Block, Omotesando, Tokyo Japan & Seoul Korea.
                 Marks and Memory, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, NSW.
                  Workshopped 04, Installation in Strand Arcade during Sydney Design Week, Pitt St, Sydney.
                  Sydney Style, Sydney Festival Exhibition for Object Gallery, Opera House, Sydney.
2003         Talente (student work), International Exhibition, International Trade Fair, Munich, Germany.
                  Art and About, City of Sydney, 26 street banners throughout city of Sydney, & projection on AMP    building.
2002        Object Award for Studio Based Practice (student), national graduate exhibition, Object Gallery, Sydney.

RESIDENCIES AWARDED:

2009         Royal Over Seas League Visual Art Scholarship, London & Hospitalfield Art Centre, Scotland. 
                 Artspace Visual Arts Centre, Studio Residency Program, Sydney.
                 Bundanon Artist in Residence Program, Arthur Boyd’s Property, NSW.
                 Antarctica, guest artist Mawson’s Huts Foundation in association with the Australian Antarctic Division.
                 Hill End Artists in Residency Program, funded by Arts NSW. 
                 Australia National University, Visiting Artist, Canberra, NSW.
2007         Stuart Town Studio Residency, NSW.
                  Helena Constantine Residency at Byron Bay, associated with Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney.
                  Tasmania School of Art, Visiting Artist, Hobart.
2004         Hill End Artists in Residency Program, funded by Arts NSW.

OTHER AWARDS :                                 

2016        Mosman Art Prize Finalist, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney.
2015        Mosman Art Prize Finalist, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney.
2014        Fleurieu Art Prize Finalist, curated by Nigel Hurst Director of Saatchi Gallery London, Mclaren Vale and The Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.  
2008        ABN AMRO (now Royal Bank of Scotland Emerging Artist Award), Finalist, Australia.
                 NSW Artists Marketing Scheme, Arts NSW, National Association for the Visual Arts, Australia.
2007         Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, Finalist, Artspace Visual Arts Centre, Australia.                                               
                Realise Your Dream Award, British Council, Runner Up with financial award at Museum of Contemporary Art.                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                Landerer Arts Scholarship, British Council Australia Finalist, 1 of 6.
               Noise Art Award runner up, out of 50 artists, Australia.
2006        SOYA Pictures nominee, Finalist, Australia.
                 New Work Grant, Emerging Artist, Australia Council for the Arts, Australia.
2005         Special Achievement Award and Highly Commended in the Powerhouse Museum Wizard Award, Australia.
2004         Craft-In-Site program, project funding, Object, Australia.
                  COFA Online Course Author Fellowship, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Australia.
2002         Object Award for Studio Based Practice (student), Object, Australia.
2000          University of New South Wales Honours Scholarship (student), Australia

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:                               

2017         Ben & Co. Wealth Issue, The Art of Collecting, 27 June pp. 8-13.       
2014         Dean, A. ‘Zoe MacDonell Liquidlight’, ArtView, December 2014 pp.27, http://joom.ag/47sb.
                  Tricanico,P.  Decollage, HYPERLINK "http://www.decollagedesign.com/abcdesign/macdonell-zoe/"http://    www.decollagedesign.com/abcdesign/macdonell-zoe/.
                 Organo, S. Liquidland ZoeMacDonell. Documentary made for Object Gallery,
                  HYPERLINK "http://object.com.au/learning/video-audio-gallery/entry/                                                   zoe_macdonellresolved_journeys_in_australian_design" http://object.com.au/learning/video-audio- gallery/entry/zoe_macdonellresolved_journeys_in_australian_design.
2011         Harrington, Z. (ed). Sculpture and the Enemies, ‘Zoe MacDonell’, May/June 2011, pp.20-25.
2010         Dundee Courier, Scotland, ‘Another Chance to Meet Artists, October 21st.
2008         Harpers Bazaar, October. pp.32 & 54.
                  Foxtel, Skills One, documentary on Zoë MacDonell’s Art Practice.   
                  Lambardo, F. Vogue Living, ‘Shadow Play’, Artist Profile, May/June 2008, pp.65-68.
2007          Koumis, M. (ed). Art Textiles of the World: Australia, Telos Art Publishing, London.
2006         James, J. Belle magazine, ‘Finishing Touch’, August/September issue, page 194, Editors Choice.
                  Cochrane, G. Object, 'Stitches in Time: Directions in Textiles', August 2006, Cover Image, pp. 16-17.
                   Gordon, A. (Producer) Vogue Living,‘The New Wave’, Feature, March/April 2006, pp.100-101.
                  MacDonell, Z. Craft Victoria, ‘Journey to Hill End’, http://craftvic.org.au/resources/craft-culture/2006/journey-to-hill-end
2005          de Garis, K. Belle, ‘’Generation Next’, January/February, pp. 27-28 & 102.                                                                              
                  Burton Taylor, J. Sydney Morning Herald, Domain,‘The Art of the Find’, Jan 20th, p.14.
                  MacDonell, Z. Craft Victoria, ‘Hi Tokyo’, http://craftvic.org.au/resources/craft-culture/2005/hi-tokyo.
                  Beavan, R. Vogue Living, ‘Treasured Maps’, November/December 2004, pp. 75-76.
                  Kenyon, G. COFA, UNSW, Spring, ‘Lines of a Journey’.    
                   Kilbey, J. Australian Art Review, ‘The Topography of Inspiration’, July to Oct, pp.34-36.
                  Tran Lam, L. State of the Arts, ‘Zoe MacDonell’, July to Sept, pp. 72-73.
                  MacDonell, Z. Craft Victoria, ‘Hi Tokyo’, http://craftvic.org.au/resources/craft-culture/2005/hi-tokyo.
                  MacDonell, Z. Craft Victoria, ‘Journey to Hill End’, http://craftvic.org.au/resources/craft-culture/2006/journey-to-hill-end.
2003        Brennan, B. Vogue Living, ‘Blanc Canvas’, pp.73-76, Oct-Nov, 2003.
                  Adams, A.  Noise: Magazine, ‘Bright Lights’, p.45, 2003.
                 Merril, M. The Program, ‘Arts Rare Mediums’, ‘News section, p.4’ [online],  HYPERLINK "http://www.theprogram.net.au" http://www.theprogram.net.au [2003, April] (Initiative of the Australia Council, Noise). 

INVITED ARTIST TALKS:

2015         Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design, Cairns Regional Art Gallery, QLD.`
2011         Matisse Derivan (painting medium), Sydney.
2010         Hospitalfield Art Centre, Royal Overseas League, Scotland.
2009         Bundanon Arthur Boyd’s property, NSW.
2007         Artspace, Helen Lempriere Finalist Exhibition, Sydney.      
                  Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Tusculum Gallery, Sydney.                                                                                             
                  Hazelhurst Gallery, Sydney.
                 Tasmania School of Art University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania.
2006         Sydney Design Week, Workshopped, hosted by David Clarke (ed Vogue Living), Sydney.
                  Blurring the Boundaries, Fairfield Regional Gallery, NSW.
                  Exploring the Surface, College of Fine Arts Research Week, COFA, UNSW.
2005          SH Ervin Gallery, The Legacy of Jean Bellette – Hill End Artist in Residence Program.
                   d-factory, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.               
                   Sydney Opera House, Talking Culture: Sydney Style Forum, Sydney Festival.
                   College of Fine Arts UNSW, COFA Research Week, Sydney.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:

Art bank, Australia.
Object Gallery, Australian Centre for Design. Sydney, Australia.
Rockingham North Carolina Municipal Building, USA.
Chifley Tower, Sydney. 

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:

UK, New York, US, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia and Australia.                                                                                                    

TEACHING AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT:

2005-18   City East College, course development and teaching, Sydney.
2003-16   Casual Academic, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales.
2005-15   Casual Academic, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW.
2008        Visiting Artist, Australia National University, Art Faculty, Canberra, NSW.
                 Scientia gifted children program, University of New South Wales, Australia.
2004         Online Author Fellowship, for the Online Faculty, College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Australia.
                  In addition to various other short courses at Regional Art Galleries and Community Colleges in Australia.

EMPLOYMENT RELATED:

2010         17th  Biennale of Sydney, Gallery Assistant, Museum of Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of NSW (volunteer).
2003-06   Professional artist and student assistance, equipment trainer and technical advice, College of Fine Arts UNSW.
2002-06  Assistant to fashion designer Amanda Garrett, fitting garments. In addition to collaborative projects including my designs; textile patterns of print and embroidery for Amanda.
Costume embellishment, Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony (volunteer).