Chris Rowe

About Chris Rowe

Chris has been working as a professional artist since completing her BA (Fine Arts) in 1989 at Monash University.

The desire and need to express herself artistically has been a consistent force since her childhood. Her most significant influence is her grandmother who at 103 years of age is still painting and exhibiting! Chris greatly admires the works of the artists Jim Dine, Osca Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Georgia O'Keefe and Picasso.

Working in a variety of mediums (oils,inks,charcoal,pastels,acrylic & collage) her work is of the personal expressed in a universal sense. Everyday images and objects are imbued with symbolic meaning. Fragmentation, layering and overlapping echo fractured time. A feeling of stillness is created within crowded spaces echoing modern feelings of alienation and isolation.

Use of collage is an important aspect of the work. It strengthens the subtext of the original idea, creates texture as well as use as a drawing tool. It also attests to modern issues of impermanency and consumerism.

The work in all mediums begin as free floating scattered chaos awaiting organisation and resolution. The superficial, layered,destroyed in part then reworked, echo the search for meaning.

The work (After Burn 2000) was (a) produced as a banner advertising 2001 Daffodil Day Awards, (b) reproduced as the cover for Victorian Breast Cancer Research Consortium Inc Quarterly Report (c) is currently on loan to the Anti Cancer Council.

Chris has been exhibiting consistently in group and solo shows since 1985 and is currently represented by Mira Gallery, Flinders Street, Melbourne and The Pantechnicon Gallery, Daylesford.

Chris lives and works in Melbourne.