Based in Adelaide’s sea-side suburb of Marino, Louise Feneley draws her inspiration from the sea and the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. Not too dissimilarly to the grand tradition of the nineteenth-century Romanticists, she portrays the powerful immensity of the ocean and the comparable fragility of human experience. The swirling movement of wind and water influence her landscape paintings, many of which appear to exist in a numinous space between the water and the land. The artist’s still-lifes can also be interpreted as a reflection upon nature’s duality as giver and destroyer: the bounty and detritus alternate in a continuous journey of artistic explorations.
The paintings are finely executed, demonstrating the smoothness of surface that belies the evidence of human touch. Atmospheric effects are minutely observed and carefully captured. The challenge of conveying translucency with opaque materials on a two-dimensional canvass can be observed in a breath-taking detail in the paintings of waves as well as glass objects. An eagle-eyed observer will be rewarded with a gift of discovering miniature human figures in foetal positions caught up in the maelstrom of nature.
Louise Feneley, painter of portraits, landscapes, and still-lifes, has been exhibiting regularly since the 1970s in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Her works have been included in important curated and survey exhibitions of contemporary Australian art, including at SASA Gallery in Adelaide, Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale (Vic), and the Parliament House in Canberra. Louise’s works had been selected as finalists in numerous art prizes, and on many occasions she had walked away with the highly coveted ‘People’s Choice Award.’ Louise’s works are to be found in the Parliament House in Canberra, as well as in selected regional, tertiary, and corporate collections in Australia and abroad.
Solo Exhibition
2021
Walking through a studio over time, Metro Gallery, VIC
2017
Hill Smith Gallery, SA
2014
Hill Smith Gallery, SA
2010
Hill Smith Gallery, SA
2009
Harrison Galleries, Sydney
2008
Melbourne Art Fair (Hill-Smith Gallery)
2007
Hill Smith Gallery, SA Mossgreen, Melbourne
2006
Harrison Galleries (formerly Brian Moore Gallery), Sydney
2005
Brian Moore Gallery, Sydney Hill-Smith Gallery, SA
2004
Hill-Smith Gallery, SA
1973
Sydenham Gallery, Norwood, SA
1971
Young Collectables, Melbourne The Skillion, North Adelaide, SA French Cultural Centre, SA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020
'Solastalgia - an Antidote'
2019
Finalist 14th International ARC Salon exhibition
Finalist, Lethbridge Small Works Prize
2018-19
'A Fine Romance-Realism in Australian Art', Gippsland Art Gallery, VIC
Florence, international exhibition, TIAC
2018
'Impressions of Shandong & South Australia', group show of Chinese & Australian artists, SASA Gallery SA
Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize at the National Archives, Old Parliament House, Parkes ACT
Tattersalls Landscape Prize, Brisbane QLD
Finalist, Heysen Prize for Landscape
Finalist, John Leslie Art Prize, Gippsland Art Gallery, VIC
Finalist, Fleurieu Biennale
'Imagine', Inaugural Exhibition of the new Gippsland Art Gallery VIC
Finalist, Waterhouse Natural Science Art prize
2017
Jinan, China, Cultural Exchange exhibition
'Trace', 4 Women Artists, Hill Smith Gallery
2016
"Length & Breadth", New Acquisitions from Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra
Finalist, Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
Finalist, Heysen Prize for Landscape
2015
"Still" 3 person show, Adelaide Central Gallery
Semi-finalist, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize
Finalist, Kennedy Prize Finalist, Manning Art Prize, 'Naked & Nude'
Finalist, Eutick Memorial Still Life Award
'Lay of the Land', Hill Smith Gallery 'Provenance', Adelaide Central Gallery
SALA, still life, Hill Smith Gallery
2014
Finalist RSASA Portrait Prize
Finalist, Eutick Memorial Still Life Award
Finalist, Kennedy Prize Melbourne Art Fair (Hill Smith Gallery)
2013
Gematria, Adelaide Central Gallery
Finalist, Fleurieu Water & Environment Prize
Finalist, Portia Geach Portrait Award
Finalist, Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, and Touring Exhibition
2012
'Roll Call', Hill Smith Represented Artists, SALA
Finalist, Whyalla Art Prize
2011
Loreto Exhibition
Finalist, City of Albany Art Prize
Finalist, Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize
Finalist, Nora Heysen Centenary Prize
2009
Finalist, Sulman Prize
Education
2019
Painting Masterclass - Antonio Lopez Garcia - Madrid, Spain Painting Masterclass - Golucho - Barcelona, Spain
2018
Painting & Drawing Masterclass - Odd Nerdrum - Florence Painting Masterclass - Golucho - Florence Painting
2012
Masterclass - Steven Assael - New York Advanced Drawing Masterclass - Steven Assael - New York 2005
2005
Drawing Masterclass – Godwin Bradbeer
2002
Bachelor of Visual Art with Honours Adelaide Central School of Art, Norwood, SA
2001
Advanced Diploma of Visual Art Adelaide Central School of Art, Norwood, SA
1970
Bachelor of Fine Art – Painting SA School of Art, North Adelaide, SA
Awards and Prizes
2019
People's Choice Award, Heysen Prize
2018
Highly Commended, Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, SA Museum Highly Commended, Fleurieu Biennale, South Australia
2015
Arts SA Grant for Research & Development of New Work
2014
People's Choice Award, EMSLA, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery
2011
Arts SA Grant for Research & Development of New Work
2011
People’s Choice Award – Nora Heysen Centenary Prize
2007
Conrad Jupiter’s Art Prize – Peoples’ Choice Award
2004
Tammy Kingsley Award - 33rd Alice Prize exhibition
2003
Helpmann Academy Mentorship Grant
1986
Bussleton Art Gallery Prize
1970
Liddums Art Gallery Prize
Royal South Australian Society of Art Prize for Composition 1967-70
Commonwealth Scholarship, SA School of Art
1968
Osborne Art Gallery Prize for Drawing
Collections
Sky City Casino Hotel collection, SA
Australian Parliament Collection, Canberra
Imago Mundi Collection, Italy
Shurniak Art Gallery, Canada
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, SA
Bussleton Art Gallery, WA
Bridgetown Hospital, WA
Colin D. Rowe, Accountants, SA
Private collections - Australia, Japan, Malaysia, USA
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