Here and Now: Gold Coast Triennial 2024 Digital Gallery
Nicola Hooper
b.1966 Merseyside UK, lives Logan QLD
Kyra and the pythons , 2024
photograph and lithograph; digital printed onto rag paper and hand-coloured
Image courtesy of the artist
Artist Statement
Delving into the fascinating world of pythons and the captivating tales of human/snake encounters. My friend, fellow printmaker and fierce Quandamooka woman with links to the Mardigan people of Cunnamulla, artist Kyra Mancktelow, whose totem is the python, agreed to sit for this work. Allowing me to transform her by combining photography and the traditional storytelling technique of lithography into a python princess, reflecting her deep connection to Country and these incredible creatures.
About the Artist
Nicola Hooper is a Meanjin/Logan artist/educator who lives and works on the land of the Yuggera people. Hooper explores the intricate tapestry of human-animal relationships using lithography, photography, drawing, and painting, focusing on our perceptions of animals, especially in relation to pathogen transmission.
Nicola was awarded a Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship to undertake a Doctorate of Visual Arts which she completed in 2019. Her studio-based research Zoonoses – A Visual Narrative is partway through its three-year 12 venue National tour, supported by Visions Australia and Museum and Galleries Queensland.
Recent achievements include Curiocity Brisbane, major public art projects for Logan City Council, 2024 Finalist Hadley's Art Prize, 2024, 2023 Finalist Brisbane Portrait Prize and shortlisted for other prestigious awards. Her work is held in public and private collections. Nicola, as an educator, tutors First Nations artists through Griffith University's CAIA program.
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