Sarah Brasier is an artist working on Wurundjeri land, and is recent alumni of the Gertrude Studio Program (2020-2023). Working across painting, video and curating, Brasier’s practice combines autobiographical elements with text, memes, remnants of the daily news cycle, Western mythology and symbols of the natural world. Using non-human protagonists, her paintings often employ pathos, humour and the absurd to communicate the inner lives of these objects and creatures. At a time when the state of the natural world is on the brink of collapse due to the current climate catastrophe and geopolitical precarity, Brasier makes use of macro and micro landscape painting and the power of words to challenge individualistic human modes of thinking. Brasier’s goals are to playfully interrogate humanity’s existence on the earth during the Anthropocene whilst encouraging feelings of unity and connectivity in a world that can sometimes feel like it is falling apart.
Brasier completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne in 2018: a Diploma of Visual Art at RMIT University in 2014; and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Geology) at Federation University in Ballarat in 2010. With an interest in the notion of friendship as a creative catalyst, in 2016 Brasier founded the Winter1706 art fair, presenting a series of exhibitions by early career artists across a series of vacant apartments on St Kilda Road, Melbourne. She has also curated projects at SEVENTH Gallery, Melbourne, where she is on the board of directors, Firstdraft, Sydney, and more. In 2017, Brasier was awarded a New Colombo Plan Scholarship by the Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs, living in Japan for eighteen months and completing a semester at Joshibi University of Fine Art in Tokyo.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art - Painting), Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne (Melbourne) 2018
Study Abroad under the New Colombo Plan Scholarship, Joshibi University of Art and Design (Tokyo) 2017
Diploma of Visual Art, RMIT (Melbourne) 2014
Bachelor of Applied Science (Geology), Federation University (Ballarat) 2010
SELECTED SOLO / TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
‘No rain, no rainbow’, Daine Singer, (Melbourne), 2023
‘Nothing is more important than hanging out’ with Jemi Gale, Outer Space, (Brisbane), 2022
‘Spiritual Poverty’ with Matthew Harris, Gertrude Glasshouse, (Melbourne), 2022
'Secrets don't make friends' with Matthew Harris, TCB Art Inc, (Melbourne) 2021
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
‘Melbourne Now’, National Gallery of Victoria, (Melbourne), March 2023
Gertrude Studios 2022, curated by Tim Riley Walsh, Gertrude Contemporary (Melbourne) 2022
'If Not At Arm's Length', curated by Tim Riley Walsh, Gertrude Contemporary (Melbourne) 2021
‘4 am Flaming Arrows’ curated by Jemi Gale, Bundoora Homestead, (Melbourne) 2021
‘I am here’ curated by Katherine Hattam, Arthouse Gallery (Sydney) 2021
'Hope In the Dark' curated by Mark Feary, Gertrude Contemporary and Gertrude Glasshouse, (Melbourne) 2020
'Captivity Report', Gertrude Contemporary offsite (Melbourne) 2020
‘7th Bus Projects Edition Exhibition’, Bus Projects (Melbourne) 2019
‘Collectively: an exhibition by West Space volunteers’, West Space, (Melbourne) 2019
‘The process of making’, West Space fundraiser, West Space, (Melbourne) 2019
‘VCA Graduate Exhibition’, Victorian College of the Arts, (Melbourne) 2018
‘Coming soon 2’, West Space, (Melbourne) 2018
’Toba Stories Art Project’, Toba, Mie Prefecture, (Japan) 2017
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
‘The Impressionists’ with Bill Hawkins, Blindside, (Melbourne) 2021
‘Private Opulence Public Squalor’ with Matthew Harris, abandoned houses, (Melbourne) 2020
‘and on the eyes, black sleep of night’, firstdraft, (Sydney) 2019
‘and on the eyes, black sleep of night’, SEVENTH Gallery, (Melbourne) 2019
‘WNTR x Gertrude: became; becoming; becomes;’ Gertrude Contemporary, (Melbourne) 2017
‘WNTR Echo Location’, 170 Russell St Car Park, (Melbourne) 2016
‘Winter1706’ – Abandoned building Art Fair, St Kilda Rd, (Melbourne) 2016
‘The Mini Boho’, NGV Art Book Fair – (Melbourne) 2016
SCHOLARSHIPS
‘Melbourne Global Scholarship’ 2017
‘New Colombo Plan Scholarship’ 2017
John Vickery Scholarship, 2017
‘Lin Martin Melbourne Global Scholarship’, 2016
TEXTS
Amelia Wallin, No rain, no rainbow’ or difficult feelings in a rented body (after Olivia Liang and David Wojnarowicz), Daine Singer, 2023
Diego Ramirez, Booboo, I think you need spiritual alignment more than cocaine, Gertrude Contemporary, 2022
Natalie Thomas, 'Secrets don't make friends', TCB Art Inc, 2021