Chris Olney

Biography

After spending some years working and travelling thoughout Europe, Chris came back to his hometown of Geelong in 2007 with the goal of devoting himself to being a professional artist, and completed a semester at Brougham School of Art and Photography.

In 2008 he moved to New South Wales to study Visual Arts at Southern Cross University in Lismore, winning third prize in the student art competition. Chris participated in various exhibitions, including a group show with local established artists James Guppy, Cornelius Delaney and Christine Willcocks. He also exhibited in the popular Border Art Prize, and was selected for a residency at the Geelong Courthouse Youth Arts Centre in 2009.

In August 2009 Chris received an international exchange scholarship and spent 9 months studying Sumi-e (Japanese/Chinese ink painting), Japanese religious and secular art, Japanese cinema and Japanese illustrated books (or Manga) at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka. Chris earned money by selling his traditionally themed ink paintings around the temples, train stations, and streets of Kyoto and Osaka, whilst studying ancient Sumi-e brush techniques.

He went on to develop and adapt these techniques to suit his own style, culminating his efforts into a sold out graduation exhibition.

Chris returned to Lismore, and his oil painting, to work on pieces for the Transit graduation exhibition held in October 2010 at the Southern Cross University Arts wing, and is currently establishing his practice in Melbourne.

Exhibitions

September 2007
'Your View of Geelong' Art Competition *Third prize*
Courthouse Youth Arts Centre
- Geelong, Vic

October 2007
Regional Art Exhibition
- Ballarat, Vic

August - September 2008
SCU Student Art Prize *Third prize*
- Lismore, N.S.W.

September 2008
Projection Pieces - Next Art Gallery
- Lismore, N.S.W.

October 2008
A Visual Guide to Australian Values (The new Aussie cringe) - Next Art Gallery
- Lismore, N.S.W.

December 2008 - January 2009
Border Art Prize - Tweed River Art Gallery
- Murwillumbah, N.S.W.

January 2009
Solo exhibition - Courthouse Youth Arts Centre
- Geelong, Vic

May 2010
Off The Street - Emerging Artist Exhibition - Courthouse Youth Arts Centre
- Geelong, Vic

May 2010
Graduation Exhibition - Kansai Gaidai University Exhibition Hall
- Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan.

October 2010
Transit - Graduation Exhibition - Southern Cross University
- Lismore, N.S.W.