Jade Walsh is a contemporary Australian artist who uses paint, fabric, sewing, print and performance and blends social commentary with personal confession. She explores female identity, relationships and friendships; and channels heartbreak, loneliness, vulnerability, love and humour through her visual and word- blended art. She believes in Art as a social tool (to connect to people) and way to empowerment (to not feel alone). She is also a writer and makes zines and has performed in the synth and spoken word duo The Fluffs Electric. She has exhibited nationally and internationally & travelled to USA & Europe for Screen-printing residencies supported by Australia Council Grants. She has recently received a commission and award from the CIty of Ballarat and the Ballarat Arts Foundation. She currently lectures in the Visual Arts Academy at Federation University in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

“I draw from human states and social realities such as loneliness or singledom and the need for love and contact because I feel it intensely myself. I need to deal with it through art and ideas. Art is, for me, a way of connecting with others”.

In Jade Walsh’s art from the heart and by the hand, carefully chosen words float on portraits of strangers. Scenarios play across these green fields and pockets of colour. Walsh has stitched and soaked the surfaces with emotions so familiar it’s as if our minds our being read. Jazzy, scented and romantic messages arrange themselves in modules. Paper, fabric and printed surface are layered and pressed into stylish images with seductive appeal. Distinct and succinct sagas evolve (She watched the telephone) Textures and mark making expose imperfections. Some messages are made clear, others are crossed out and re-written. Like the artist, the works are cluttered with humour, sensuality and innocence. Love, insecurity, protection and honesty are played out in her life and works. - Sally Esse Photo by Tara C Moore

EDUCATION
2009 Master of Fine Art, RMIT University Melbourne
2003 Graduate Diploma of Visual Art, Victorian College of the Arts
1999 Certificate of Painting, Ecole des beaux Arts, Paris, France
1997 Bachelor of Graphic Design, RMIT University, Melbourne

AWARDS/GRANTS/RESIDENCIES
2023 Eureka Art Award Exhibition, Ballarat
2021 City of Ballarat Pavement Painting Commission
2020 Ballarat Arts Foundation Contemporary Art Award.
2019 Cultural Development Grant, City of Port Phillip, for Toot Artspace Curated Projects
2017 Artist in Residence, AC Institute, New York City
2015 Screen-printing Work-shop Artist , Textile Arts Centre, New York, USA 2013 Studio artist, Lower East Printshop, New York USA
2012 Screen-printing residency, Alice Springs, NT
2010 Artstart grant, Australia Council for the Arts
Studio artist, Lower East Printshop, New York USA
2008 SV A Summer Residency Program, New York, USA
2007 Frans Masereel-Flemish Centre for Printmaking Residency, Belgium
2005 Fabric Workshop & Museum Internship, Philadelphia USA
2004 Skills and Development Grant for Emerging Artists, Australia Council for the Arts 2001 Linden Postcard Prize, Linden Contemporary Art Gallery

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL ART SHOWS
2024 EMO-SHONE, the old butchers shop gallery, Ballarat
2022 FEELINGS MUTUAL with Lauren Tausend, Sol Gallery Melbourne
2021 ROMANTIC THREADS, Art Space, Ballarat
2019 SPILL, TooT Artspace, St Kilda, Melbourne
2017 Hell now, Rubicon ARI, Nth, Melbourne
2016 Romance Lane, Unicorn Lane Lightbox Gallery, Ballarat
Bare Material, Trocadero Artspace, Footscray
2015 Romantic Portraits, Paul Kopeikin Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
Performance + Zine Launch, Printed Matter, New York City, USA
Why don’t you come to your senses, Snugspace Northcote
2014 Attraction Mechanics, Brunswick Arts Space
2013 Pretty Funny Alone, Drawing Speed Dating with Jade Walsh, Performances and event,
AC Institute, New York City
Listfull, Carbon Black Gallery, Melbourne
2012 Grass is Always Greener/Museum of Common problems, Watch This Space, Alice Springs NT
New Net Works, Upstairs Napier, Fitzroy
2011 You Think Sew, The Library Artspace, Fitzroy Nth 2009 LoveStuck, Obus instore, Melbourne
This is an Art-Rage!, Shifted Gallery, Richmond
Romantic Action(s) Kings ARI, Melbourne 2007 Sew Knot Crazy, Imp Gallery, Prahran
Down The Shops, Plateau 589, Northcote
2006 Behaviour Patterns & Hungry Pictures, Seventh Gallery, Fitzroy. 2005 Rocky Road Diary, Greville St Bookstore Window, Prahran. 2004 Romantic Lines, Kings ARI, Melbourne2002 Fish Cock Thesaurus, Greville St Bookstore Window, Prahran. 2001 SSW of Alaska, Landau gallery, St Kilda
Around the block, Patrizia Autore Galleries, St Kilda

GROUP SHOWS
2020 Art of Making: Creative Cities Ballarat, Curated by Felicity Martin
2019 LOFIHI, Art+Zines, TooT Artspace (with Jordan Marani, Kenny Pittock, Nat Thomas & Amy Sillman): Family & Friends, Daine Singer, Fitzroy
2018 Return Flight Melbourne to Christchurch art and Writing exchange, Blindside, Melbourne 2015 Turn Up your Radio, curated by Brendan Lee with Darren Sylvester, Jon Campbell and more.
Trocadero, Footscray
2007 Artists Who Sometimes Use Words In Their Work,
with Sanja Pahoki and Kiron Robinson. Upstairs Flinders, Melbourne 2006 Domestik 2, Area Contemporary Art Space, Fitzroy
Art06-Affordable Art Fair, Exhibition Buildings, Carlton 2004 Exploration 5, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne Domestik, Area Contemporary Art Space, Fitzroy
2003 You are here, for UrbanArt, Spencer St. Tramstop metrolite, Melbourne
2003 Darebin/La Trobe Acquisitive Art Prize, Bundoora Homestead, Federation Centre for the Arts, Bundoora
Papier, Melbourne Fashion Week, Mezzanine at Ivy Hopes, City
2002 Subtitle, Patrizia Autore Gallery, St.Kilda
2001 2001 Darebin/La Trobe Acquisitive Art Prize, Bundoora Homestead, Federation Centre for
the Arts, Bundoora

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Meg Cranston, "Back Story", 3RRR FM Radio, LO FI HIGH and Zines Interview, 2019
Nicole Bebout “Pretty Funny Alone” Review, NYC, AC Institute online
Tamara Heath “ Singles file to exhibition”, Herald Sun, 2014
Lauren Fitzgerald. “World’s Away in one space” ABC Radio, Alice Springs 2012
Penny Modra, ‘Must have GSOH’, Visual Arts, The Age, 29/7, 2009
Richard Watts, ‘Smart Arts’, 3RRR FM Radio, Interviews for "Romantic Lines" Exhibition Kings ARI, and 'Words' Exhibtion, FLG Upstairs. 2007,& 2004
2003 Darebin/Latrobe Acquisitive Art Prize Catalogue, C. Berlatier & 2001 Darebin/Latrobe Acquisitive Art Prize Catalogue, C. Berlatier
Papier- Melbourne Fashion Week 2003, Catalogue, A.Matzner. ‘Zines’, Booth-Clibborn Editions London, 2001

ZINES/BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS
Founder of Zine & Art Collective“Toot Zines” www.tootzines.com est 2011.‘Book of Dates’, Zine, 2009; ‘Rocky Road Diary’ Zine No.1 Vol.1 2005; ‘Toot, issue 1; Sex’ Zine, J.Walsh and S.Esse,1998; ‘Bare Square Behinds’, Self-Produced Catalogue, 2000

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2024 Lecturer in Painting, Visual Arts Academy, Federation University, Ballarat
2018 Director at TooT Artspace artist run gallery and zines, St Kilda
2014-15 Teacher, Design Communication, RMIT Foundation
2012 Lecturer, Visual Communication, Billy Blue College of Design, Melbourne
2009 Tutor, Visual Communication, RMIT & Academy of Design
2008 Committee member, Kings ARI
2007 Lecturer & Co-ordinator, School of Art and Design, Monash University and Monash College,
Caulfield
2002 Artist’s Assistant/Mentorship with Kathy Temin & Anne Marie May
Graphic Designer, (voluntary position), Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces