ARTIST BIO:
Sonya G Peters is an interdisciplinary artist and lecturer who is based in Queensland, Australia. With a primary focus on drawing, Sonya is inspired by her observations of the world around her; what she sees, experiences, and feels, is processed, and materialised through her highly realistic and detailed drawings of the natural world.
Sonya’s most recent project has been to document the Griffith School of Anatomy’s collection of ‘live’ prosected cadaver specimens. For Sonya the significance of the work is to present the beauty and intricacy of the human form through the visual language of drawing.
Sonya has achieved a number of highlights; from the successful completion of her MVA, Master of Visual Art and a DVA, Doctor of Visual Arts, to international and nationally recognized solo and group exhibitions. In addition to receiving a number of awards, Sonya has collaborated and worked with artists in artist residencies in New Zealand and Philadelphia, USA.
EDUCATION
2012 -15 Doctor of Visual Art, Queensland College of Art, Southbank, Brisbane
2005-08 MVA Higher Research, Master of Visual Arts at QCA, Griffith University, Southbank, Brisbane
2004-05 Bachelor of Fine Art with First Class Honors, QCA, Griffith University, Southbank, Brisbane
2001-04 Bachelor of Visual Art in Fine Art at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Awarded the Fine Art Medal
1995 University of NSW, Life drawing, Sydney, Australia
1993 Certificate course in Children’s Book Illustration, Sydney University, Sydney
1976-79 Diploma of Applied Arts, Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, Canada
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015 On an Account of Seeing and Not Seeing, Doctoral Exhibition, Webb Gallery, Queensland College of Art
2015 International Drawing Symposium, On an Account of Seeing and Not Seeing, Webb Gallery, Queensland College of Art, Southbank
2015 Blind Drawing/Drawing Blind, Whitebox Gallery, Griffith University, Gold Coast
2012 21 Grams of Graphite, 19 Karen Contemporary Art Space, Mermaid Beach, QLD 2009 Another Space, 19 Karen Contemporary Art Space, Mermaid Beach, QLD
2008 Paperbag Series, to draw breath and other transient pieces … in-Transit Gallery, Portside Wharf, Hamilton
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018 The 40 th Alice Prize
2018, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, Northern Territory
2017 The Impression of our Arteries, Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Woolloongabba, QLD
2015 Past, present, forgotten, imagined, St. Andrews Hospital Postgrad Exhibition, St Andrews Hospital, Brisbane
2014 The Unpredictable Conceptions in Trans-disciplinary Collaboration, Crane Arts, Gallery 105, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2014 Disturbance of Direction, Red Gallery Contemporary Art Space, North Fitzroy, Melbourne
2014 Re-cognition/recognition, Project Gallery, QCA Southbank
2014 Rick Amor Drawing Prize, Art Gallery of Ballarat, NSW 2012 On Line, Webb Center QCA Southbank, Brisbane
2012 Face Value, Whitebox Gallery, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD
2012 Noeme, Whitebox Gallery, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD
2011 Obsessive Tendencies, M16 Artspace, Griffith ACT, NSW
2011 Stan and Maureen Duke Gold Coast Art Prize, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Gold Coast
2011 Clayton Utz Art Award, Clayton Utz, Brisbane, QLD
2011 4 th Biennial Australian Animal Studies Group Conference, Pop Gallery, Woolloongabba
2011 Homage to Frida Kahlo, 19 Karen Contemporary Art Space, Mermaid Beach, QLD
2011 Birds of a feather flock together, Whitebox Gallery, QCA Griffith University, Gold Coast
2011 Wash Traces of Otherness, Woolloongabba Art Gallery , Woolloongabba
2011 Here and Now, Herbert Gallery, Eketahuna, New Zealand
2010 Other Msconceptions ~ a watercolour on paper group exhibition, Gallery 3 @ level, Brisbane
2010 Launch: Clayton Utz Art Award, Clayton Utz, Brisbane, QLD
2010 Beyond the Given, Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah NSW
2010 Mood Swings, 19 Karen Contemporary Art Space, Mermaid Beach, QLD
2009 SCAP Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Art Gallery, QLD
2009 Stan and Maureen Duke Gold Coast Art Prize, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Gold Coast
2008 To draw breath… MVA Final Exhibition, Whitebox Gallery, QCA, Southbank, Brisbane
2007 The Thiess Art Prize Award, Philip Bacon Commendation, Dell Gallery, QCA, Southbank, QLD
2007 Thickness of Water, Logan Gallery, Logan, QLD
2007 Draw me a breath ~ Build me a mirage, College Galleria, Galleria Complex, Southbank, QLD
2006 Inter Image 3, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Tokyo, Japan
2006 Inter Image 2, College Galleria, Galleria Complex, Southbank, Brisbane
2006 Inter Image Art Exchange, contemporary Japan/Australian art encounters, 7 th Floor, Space
2006 One breath/Cross currents, College Galleria, QCA, Southbank, QLD
2006 Thickness of Water, Bundaberg Arts Centre, Bundaberg, QLD
2005 One of These Dayscurrent painting practices, Soapbox Gallery Fortitude Valley, QLD
2005 The New Breed, Dickerson Gallery, Richmond, VIC
2005 Fallout, Blacklab Gallery, Fortitude Valley, QLD 2005 Processing Narratives, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Gold Coast, QLD
2004 Retrospective, Artworkers Gallery South Brisbane, QLD
2004 More Than Beautiful, Soapbox Gallery, Fortitude Valley, QLD 2004 Fresh Cut
2004, Institute of Modern Art, Fortitude Valley, QLD
2003 National Australia Bank, Private Contemporary Art Prize, Thornquest Gallery, Gold Coast
COLLECTIONS
2003 Bedroom Series, National Australia Bank, Private Bank Contemporary Art Prize
EMPLOYMENT
2008 -2020 Queensland College of Art Griffith University and Griffith College, Gold Coast, Southbank and Mt Gravatt Campuses