Just months after graduating from the Queensland College of Art, Renee Kire is in the running for Australia's most significant prize for emerging artists.
The sculptor and installation artist is one of 24 emerging talents vying for the Schenberg Art Fellowship of $50,000 as part of the Hatched National Graduate Show.
The exhibition at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art showcases the country's best up-and-coming artists and features work across mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, textiles, sound and video.
A Bachelor of Fine Art graduate, Renee was selected by a panel of the country's top arts professionals, including artist Dean Cross and Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory curator Clare Armitage.
"It still feels totally surreal," she said.
"It's such an incredible opportunity to have my work shown at a national level."
With vibrant patterns and bold colour, Renee's work references famous female artists. Her pieces are designed to explore gender imbalance in the art world.
The works selected for exhibition at Hatched were produced during COVID lockdowns last year using timber and vintage bedsheets.
"All of this work was produced during extended periods of working in isolation," she said.
"I was confined to a small palette and the materials I had on hand, which allowed me to try something new and challenge traditional notions of sculpture."
Queensland College of Art (QCA) Director Professor Elisabeth Findlay said Renee was one of many promising artists emerging from the QCA.
"We are delighted to see Renee's work selected for this national exhibition," she said.
"Hatched provides an opportunity for graduates to present their work in a leading contemporary art gallery alongside their peers from across the country.
"The fact that our graduates are consistently represented at Hatched each year reflects the calibre of students studying at the QCA."
Hatched: National Graduate Show will run from 8 May – 11 July at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).
More information on supporting emerging artists at the Queensland College of Art can be found online.
