James Smeaton
31 May - 28 June 2025
Exhibitions
Kara Morrison - Forest Valley Atelier
Kara Morrison’s oil paintings focus on the lush dense forest of the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria.
Born in Hong Kong in 1982, Morrison now lives and works in the same captivating mountains that feature in her paintings. From her studio in the town of Clematis, she observes the temperate rain forest, the fern gullies and towering Mountain Ash trees. Her moody colour palette captures the nuances and textures of this scenic region; seasons and stages of growth, death and regeneration form the implicit narrative across her recent paintings. The surfaces of her work are densely layered and textured, evoking Morrison’s deep feeling for the landscapes and environs that continue to draw her attention. ACAE Gallery is delighted to present her new exhibition ’Forest Valley Atelier’. Here is an artist whose love of the forest is powerfully present in her art.
Kara Morrison, Unresolved, oil on triple primed board, 61 x 61 cm
Kara Morrison b. 1982, Hong Kong Lives and works in Clematis, Dandenong Ranges, Victoria
Education
2022 Diploma of Visual Arts, Northern College of the Arts & Technology, Melbourne, Vic
2004 Bachelor of Education, University of Ballarat, Mt Helen, Vic
2000 Victorian Certificate of Education, Stawell Secondary College, Stawell, Vic
Solo Exhibitions
2023 Engulfed, @14 Gallery, Collingwood, Vic
2022 Pride of Place, Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis, Vic Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Her Places, with Helen Yu, Helen and Joey Estate, Yarra Valley, Vic
2022 Emergence, Create Year 2 Students, NCAT, Preston, Vic
2019 Manifest, MAVA Collective, 345 Art Creative, Mont Albert, Vic
2019 Truth to be Known, MAVA Collective, Incube8r, Fitzroy, Vic
2018 Small Works, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Vic
Awards / Prizes
2023 Winner, Oil Painting, Emerald Arts Society Annual Art Exhibition, Emerald, Vic
2023 Finalist, John Dudley Portrait Prize, Emerald Arts Society, Victoria
2021 Winner, Oil Painting, Emerald Arts Society Annual Art Exhibition, Emerald, Vic
2020 Finalist, Gosford Art Prize, Gosford, NSW
2019 Finalist, John Dudley Portrait Prize, Emerald Arts Society, Victoria Commissioned Work
2010 to Current Private commissions for patrons, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, New Zealand. Facilitation Activities
2022 “Zorn Portraiture” Workshop, Emerald Arts Society, Emerald, Vic
2022 “Zorn Portraiture” Workshop, Forest Valley Atelier, Clematis, Vic
2022 to 2023 Adults Oil Painting, Emerald Arts Society, Emerald, Vic
2022 to 2023 Teenage Art Classes, Forest Valley Atelier, Clematis, Vic
2022 to 2023 Children’s Art Classes, Ongoing Classes, Forest Valley Atelier, Clematis, Vic
2019 Adult Oil Painting Classes, Kara Soccio Artist Studio, Officer, Vic
Curated Practice
2022 Emergence, Create Year 2 Students, NCAT, Preston, Vic
2022 Curation, “John Dudley Portrait Prize”, The Hills Hub Gallery, Emerald, Vic
2021 Curation, “Artists of the Central Coast - In Their Own Words” Book Launch Exhibition, The Entrance Gallery, The Entrance, NSW
Professional Associations
2019 - 2023 Workshop and Social Media Co-ordinator, Emerald Arts Society Secretary, Emerald Arts Society
2019 - current Melbourne and Victorian Artists (MAVA)
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