Biography
Melbourne based artist Hilary Şenhanlı graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts having studied under Pam Hallandal, a Dobell Drawing Prize winner. Whilst living in Brussels she exhibited annually with Arts Perspective International and back in Australia at The National Archives of Australia, The Lyceum Club, Hawthorn Studio & Gallery and fortyfivedownstairs.
She is appearing consistently as a finalist – the $30,000 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award (JADA), the $82,000 National Drawing Together Art Prize, St Patrick’s College Flanagan Prize, the Walker Street Gallery’s Emerging Artist Award and the Polish Art Foundation’s International Drawing Biennales. She had also conducted a successful online initiative in 2010 by posting a small new work every second day for a hundred days (which was covered by the Monash Journal and went “viral” online amongst American art enthusiasts).
Current project:
| Visual Diary Guide project – 5 years on, I find myself still working on this project to improve the use of visual diaries and idea generation in the classroom. Already spoken to more than a thousand art teachers and the more I understand the issues out there, the more motivated I am to invest in this. Unfortunately, it leaves very little time for my art at the moment, though I am looking forward to going back to it. |
Exhibitions:
| 2014- | I decided to publish the Visual Diary Guide after seeing the state of affairs in Year 12 art rooms across many schools in Australia. This means an interruption to my artworks. I apologize to many patrons expecting new works from me. I look forward to going back to my art soon. |
| 2013 | Solo exhibition, Bohemian Rhapsody Social Club, Canterbury, Vic.Hydrocryl painters Award, Art Town, Public Project & Exhibition, Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran, Vic. |
| 2012 | Finalist, The Flanagan A2, St Patrick’s College Ballarat, Vic.Urban spaces, curated group exhibition, Polish Art Foundation, The Steps, Carlton, Vic.“Linden Post Card Show”, Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts, Vic |
| 2011 | 30-day initiative, producing an artwork every 2nd day for one hundred days, Web exhibitionAwarded Monash Community Grant, City of Monash, Vic.Artist in Residence, Emmanuel Kindergarten, Oakleigh, Vic.“Contemplating life”, Solo exhibition, Blue Dog Gallery, Beaumaris, Vic. “Gesture: The art of fresh forms”, curated group exhibition, Brunswick Street Gallery, Vic.“Sons and Daughters Exhibition”, group exhibition by invitation, Lyceum Club of Melbourne, Vic.“Connections”, curated group exhibition, Hawthorn Studio & Gallery, Hawthorn, Vic.“Works on paper”, group exhibition, Yarra Valley Grammar, Ringwood, Vic.Finalist, Prometheus Visual Arts Award, The Prometheus Foundation, Qld.JADA, traveling group exhibition, University of the Sunshine Coast, Qld.JADA, traveling group exhibition, Redcliffe Art Gallery, Qld.JADA, traveling group exhibition, Manning Regional Art Gallery, NSW.JADA, traveling group exhibition, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Qld.4th Prize, Art-Town Public Project & Exhibition, Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran, Vic.“Crowds”, solo exhibition, fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne, Vic.“Linden Post Card Show”, Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts, Vic. |
| 2010 | Group exhibition, Hawthorn Studio & Gallery, Hawthorn, Victoria, AustraliaFinalist, $30,000 JADA 2010 Drawing Award, Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW, AustraliaFinalist, Walker St Gallery’s Emerging Artist Award, Dandenong, Victoria, AustraliaFinalist, St. Patrick’s Collage Art Prize and Exhibition, Ballarat, Victoria, AustraliaPrivate Solo Exhibition, Hughesdale, Victoria, Australia100-day initiative, producing an artwork every 2nd day for 100 days, Web Exhibition, Global |
| 2009 | Finalist, 5th International Drawing Biennale, Polish Art Foundation, Benalla Art Gallery and The Steps Gallery, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.Solo exhibition, Karstens Gallery Level 8, Melbourne, Vic.Ongoing exhibition, Picassomio.com, online gallery, Madrid, Spain. |
| 2008 | Solo exhibition, The Lyceum Club of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. Finalist, 4th International Drawing Biennale, Polish Art Foundation, Benalla Art Gallery and The Steps Gallery, Carlton, Vic.Ongoing exhibition, Picassomio.com, online gallery, Madrid, Spain |
| 2007 | Finalist, “Drawing together”, $82,000 National Art Prize celebrating Aboriginal Reconciliation, exhibited at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra, Act.Independent Artist Showcase, Off the wall, Art Melbourne, Fitzroy, Vic Second Prize, Artz Blitz Competition, Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabin, Vic.Ongoing exhibition, Picassomio.com, online gallery, Madrid, Spain. |
| 2006 | Group exhibition, The Body Show, Brunswick Street Gallery, Brunswick, Vic.Group exhibition, Collector’s Exhibition, Contemporary Art Society of Victoria, The Steps Gallery, Carlton, Vic. Ongoing exhibition, Picassomio.com, online gallery, Madrid, Spain. |
| 2005 | Finalist, 3rd International Drawing Biennale, Polish Art Foundation, Benalla Art Gallery and The Steps Gallery, Carlton, Vic.Ongoing exhibition, Picassomio.com, online gallery, Madrid, Spain. |
| 2004 | Solo exhibition, Tervuren, Belgium.Group exhibition, Splash of Colour, Art Perspectives International, Brussels, Belgium.Ongoing exhibition, Picassomio.com, online gallery, Madrid, Spain. |
| 2003 | Group exhibition, Diversity, Art Perspectives International, Brussels, Belgium. |
| 2002 | Group exhibition, Dreamscapes, Art Perspectives International, Tervuren, Belgium. |
| 1994 | Artists in Residence, Sienna Collage, Camberwell, Vic, Australia. |
| 1993 | Group exhibition, St. Martins Theatre, Melbourne, Vic. Annual group show, Argyle Street Studios, Melbourne, Vic. |
| 1992 | Graduation exhibition, Victorian Collage of Arts, Southbank, Vic. Finalist, Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award, Sydney, Nsw. |
| 1986 | Group exhibition, Oculus Gallery, Ringwood, Vic. |
Publications:
- “An explosive talent”, by Jessica Bennett, Monash Journal, 30 August 2010
- Front page www.picassomio.com, 2009-2010
- “Secrets” edition, www.area-zinc.com, Feb 2009
- Drawing Section Icon on www.picassomio.com, 2007
- The Bulletin magazine (distributed in the UK and Belgium), April 22, 2004
- Farrago, Melbourne University’s student magazine, full-page comic strips, Vol. 72 & 74 1993
Education:
- Resident of Brussels and London. (2001-2004)
- Diploma of Education, Melbourne University, First Class Honours, 1994
- Completed Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts), Victorian Collage of the Arts, drawing major, 1991-2
- Commenced BA Fine Arts at Victoria College, Prahran campus drawing department. Studied under Pam Hallandal, Bernhard Sachs, Susan Stamp, Neil Overton and David Wilson.
- HSC (All Visual Arts subjects), Yarra Valley Grammar.