EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts (ART), Curtin University, WA
ART FORM: Sculpture, Installation, Digital Media
BIO: I am multi-disciplinary artist who examines human and non-human relationships with respect to ecological health. Exploring the intersections between art and science I am often embedded within ecological research projects. My work tells stories that examine the science through a creative lens; exploring imagined futures and constructing new ways of ‘seeing’ complex natural systems and our role within them. I have undertaken a number of residencies with Queensland State Archives, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science and am currently artist in resident on projects with Australian Tropical Herbarium and University of Miami.
EXHIBITIONS
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
- 2022 DE-compose, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, USA, November
- 2022 When A Tree Falls, The Centre, Beaudesert, July-September
- 2021 When A Tree Falls, Northsite Contemporary Art Space, May - June
- 2021 Unseen, Dogwood Crossing @ Miles, July-September
- 2020 Tropical Treasures, Queensland State Archives, 27 February - 24 March
- 2019 Unseen, Warwick Art Gallery, 11 April - 18 May
- 2019 Unseen, Redland Art Gallery, Capalaba, 2 February - 11 March
- 2018 Unseen, Tanks Art Centre, Cairns, 1 - 14 June
- 2018 Unseen, Pine Rivers Art Gallery, 16 March - 28 April
- 2018 Unseen, Artsworx, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, 30 January - 7 March
- 2017 Unseen, Logan Art Gallery, 20 October - 27 November
- 2017 Hidden Worlds, Queens Park Environmental Centre, May
- 2017 Unseen, Richard Randall Studio, Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens, March (touring show)
- 2016 The Plant Room, Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, 7 December 2016 - 29 January 2017 (touring show)
- 2015 Beyond the Seed, Richard Randall Studio, Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens, March
- 2013 The Plant Room, Richard Randall Studio, Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens, December (touring show)
- 2011 Ipswich Portraits: Objects & Mementos, Ipswich Community Gallery, July (Artslink touring show)
- 2010 Hidden REALMS, Drawing Point Gallery, December
TOURING EXHIBITIONS (Group Shows):
- 2022 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, South Australian Museum + National Archives of Australia
- 2021-23 Experimenta Life Forms: International Triennial of Media Art, touring Australia from 2021-2023
- 2021 Decadence, 2021 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
- 2020 State of Diversity, 2020 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
- 2019 Wunderlust, 2019 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
- 2018 Iconic Queensland, 2018 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
- 2017 Colours of Queensland, 2017 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
- 2016 Cream of the Crop, 2016 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
- 2015 Vital Signs, 2015 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
- 2014-17 Bimblebox: art - science - nature, National Touring Exhibition, Museums & Galleries Queensland
- 2014 Living Change, 2014 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
- 2013 Essential Character of Queensland, 2013 Queensland Touring Exhibition, Flying Arts
EPHEMERAL INSTALLATIONS
- 2023 DE-compose [Afterlife], deLight [SPARK Festival], 143 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, Queensland 7 July
- 2023 The Carbon Store: Gas Exchange, Inhabited Ipswich [Rawlings], Ipswich, Queensland, July
- 2022 DE-CAY-dence, Curiocity [part of World Science Festival Brisbane] www.worldsciencefestival.com.au/curiocity-brisbane/de-cay-dence
- 2022 Displaced [TransPLANT VI], ClimARTe Poster Project, Melbourne, March
- 2021 TransPLANT [seeking refuge], Commissioned by State Library of Queensland, June - November
- 2021 Legacy & Matrix, DeLight [SPARK Festival], St Mary's Cathedral, Ipswich, 13 July
- 2020 Mycelium 4 (Violaceus), Curiocity Brisbane, 30 March - 3 April
- 2019 Mycelium 4, Curiocity Brisbane, March
- 2017 Networked..., Floating Land Festival, Noosa 23 September - 2 October
- 2012 Green houses...., Ipswich Festival, Queens Park, May
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
- 2023
- 2022
Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, South Australian Museum, 3 June - 7 August
Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, National Archives of Australia, ACT, 16 September - 13 November
- 2021
Sites of Connection, University of Sunshine Coast Art Gallery, 20 August - 30 October
Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize, Manly Art Gallery, 12 November -12 December
- 2020
- 2019
Moreton Bay Art Prize, Pine Rivers Art Gallery, QLD, May
- 2018
Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham Art Gallery, VIC, 29 March - 11 June
Moreton Bay Art Prize, Pine Rivers Art Gallery, QLD, May
- 2017
Art Meets Science, Eco Science Precinct (DSITI), Dutton Park, QLD, 11 August - 8 September
Moreton Bay Art Prize, Pine Rivers Art Gallery, QLD, May
- 2016
Art Meets Science, Eco Science Precinct (DSITI), Dutton Park, QLD, 8 August - 2 September
A Conversation about Portraiture, Pine Rivers Art Gallery, QLD, 22 July - 3 September
Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe Regional Gallery, June/July
Noosa Art Prize, Noosa Regional Gallery, May/June
People & Places, Ipswich Community Gallery, QLD, 5 - 22 January
- 2015
Biodiversity/Extinction, New York Hall of Science, New York, USA, October 2015 - February 2016
Sunshine Coast Environmental Art Prize, Arts & Ecology Centre Maroochy Botanic Gardens, November
Residence, Eco Science Precinct (DSITI), Dutton Park, QLD, 13 - 27 August
- 2014
Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Art Gallery, August
Art : Science, Eco Science Precinct (DSITI), Dutton Park, QLD, August
Moreton Bay Regional Art Prize, Pine Rivers Art Gallery, QLD, May
Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, QLD, February
- 2013
document://bimblebox, Sawtooth Gallery, Launceston, TAS, April
- 2012
Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe Regional Gallery, QLD, January
- 2010
Future Nurture, Toowoomba Regional Gallery, QLD, September/October
Changing Perceptions, Ipswich Community Gallery, QLD, April
Transforming Spaces: Project No. 1., Swich Contemporary Art Space, December - February
AWARDS & PRIZES:
2023 Highly Commended - Ipswich Art Awards [Digital Media]
2022 Highly Commended - Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize
2021 Finalist Northern Beaches Art and Environmental Design Prize
2020 Winner - Digital Art Award, Queensland Regional Art Awards
2019 Finalist North Sydney Art Prize | Finalist Moreton Bay Regional Art Awards
2018 Finalist Wyndham Art Prize | Finalist Moreton Bay Regional Art Awards
2017 Finalist Josephine Ulrick & Win Schubert Photography Award
Finalist Moreton Bay Regional Art Awards | Second Place Photography, Somerset Art Awards
2016 Winner 'The Edge Digital Art Prize' QLD Regional Art Awards | Finalist Noosa Art Prize | First Place Photography, Ipswich Art Awards |
Finalist Moreton Bay Regional Art Awards | Finalist Stanthorpe Art Prize
2015 Winner Sunshine Coast Environment Award | Finalist Sunshine Coast Art Prize
2014 Highly Commended Queensland Regional Art Award, Vital Signs | Finalist Gold Coast Art Prize | Finalist Sunshine Coast Art Prize |
Finalist Moreton Bay Regional Art Awards | Second place Photography, Ipswich Art Awards
2013 Best of Show, Ipswich Art Awards | Second place, Sculpture, Ipswich Art Awards | Finalist Flying Arts Queensland Regional Art
Awards | Finalist Moreton Bay Regional Art Awards | Ipswich Art Gallery Acquisition Prize, Ipswich Art Awards
2012 Winner The Wayne Kratzman Art Prize, Queensland Regional Art Awards | Highly commended: Sculpture, Ipswich Art Awards
2011 Objects & Mementos exhibition selected to tour as part of the 2012/2013 Artslink Touring Program | Best of Show, Ipswich Art Awards |
First Place: Sculpture, Ipswich Art Awards
2010 First Place: Photography, Ipswich Art Awards
2009 Highly Commended: Photography, Ipswich Art Awards | Ipswich Art Gallery Acquisition Prize, Ipswich Art Awards
COLLECTIONS:
- Moreton Bay Regional Council Art Collection, QLD
- E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, North Carolina, USA
- City of Ipswich Collection, Ipswich Art Gallery, QLD
- The University of Southern Queensland Art Collection, QLD
- Sunshine Coast Collection, Caloundra Regional Art Gallery, QLD
- SWICH Contemporary Art Space, QLD
- Wayne Kratzman Collection, QLD
- Milonvic Neale Consulting Engineers Collection, QLD
- Private Collections
RESIDENCIES:
2019-23 Artist in residence, 'Wood, Termite, Fungi' Project: University of Miami (2019-2022)
2019-23 Artist in residence, Australian Tropical Herbarium, QLD: Mountain Flora Project (2019-2022)
2019 Creative in Residence, Queensland State Archives (May - September)
2018 Artist in residence Tanks Art Centre, Cairns QLD
2017 The Edge, State Library of Queensland ( http://edgeqld.org.au/design/a-week-in-the-life-of-an-edge-resident/ )
2016 Artist in residence, Science Division, Department of Science, Information, Technology & Innovation
2013 & 14 Artist in residence Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
2012 Bimblebox Nature Reserve, Artist Camp Residency
PUBLICATIONS + ESSAYS:
2022 ‘Deconstructing Decay: Donna Davis’ DE-compose works’, [Exhibition Essay], by Adjunct Associate Professor Lisa Chandler, University of Sunshine Coast, Australia, August 2022. To Read: sway.office.com/qWwJWqPfa4zAbQMs?ref=Link
2022 'The Bigger Picture', [Art/Science Collaboration on the Wood, Timber, Fungi Project], by Adjunct Associate Professor Lisa Chandler, University of Sunshine Coast, Australia, August 2022. To Read: sway.office.com/Q4Nig9wosHHenp8m?ref=Link
2021 Artwork essay by Louise Martin-Chew about my work 'TransPLANT [seeking refuge]' presented as part of 'Entwined: People & Plants' exhibition at State Library of Queensland, June - November 2021.
To read: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/transplant-donna-davis
2021 Panel Discussion 'Examining the art and science behind When a Tree Falls; exhibition by donna davis'. Donna Davis [artist], Professor Darren Crayn [Director Australian Tropical Herbarium], Dr Amy Zanne [George Washington University] and Adjunct Associate Professor Lisa Chandler [University of Sunshine Coast].
To View: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtzN6iNMd00
2019 Chandler, L & Davis, D., 'Unseen: an art-science collaboration exploring the dynamics of hidden ecosystems', Special Section: Abstracts from the Spectra 2018 Symposium: Interspecies. Leonardo just Accepted publication 16 September, 2020. doi:10.1162/leon_a_01971
To View: www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/leon_a_01971
2018 TEXT Special Issue no 52, 'Anticipatory Imaginaries: Dialogues between academic research and the creative imagination' edited by Marcus Bussey, Lisa Chandler, Gary Crew and Rachel Robertson, October 2018. 'Where do all the faeries live? The future off biodiversity in a rapidly changing world'. Nigel Fechner, Lisa Chandler and Donna Davis.
To Read: www.textjournal.com.au/speciss/issue52/Fechner&Chandler&Davis.pdf
2017 'The Purga Story' by Nigel Fechner Senior Mycologist, Queensland Herbarium & 'Reciprocal Wonderlands' by Beth Jackson, Arts Curator, Artfully (Unseen Exhibition).
To Read: https://donnadavisartist.weebly.com/unseen-essay.html
