CV + BIO
Fiona McMonagle
Born Letterkenny, Ireland. Lives and Works in Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne-based artist Fiona McMonagle is known for her watercolours that belie her darker references to pedestrian life in the suburbs. Since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), McMonagle has exhibited extensively throughout Australia, both in highly successful solo exhibitions as well as curated group shows. Her recent survey exhibition, Do I Look Like I Care (2016), was held at La Trobe University Museum of Art (LUMA), curated by Dr Vincent Alessi.
In 2015 McMonagle was the winner of UQ Art Museum's National Self-Portrait Prize and in 2016, she was included in the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Magic Object at the Art Gallery of South Australia. In 2018 she was included in So Fine at The National Portrait Gallery and was a finalist in The Archibald Prize. 2020 will see McMonagle presented a solo exhibition at Bayside Gallery, in the largest space the gallery has given to a solo artist. Her work is held in numerous public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Portrait Gallery, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Monash University Museum of Art, UQ Art Museum, Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, Artbank and Maitland Regional Art Gallery.
EDUCATION
1998–2000 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne
1996–1997 Associate Diploma of Visual Arts, RMIT, Melbourne
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 That’s Bunny, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide
2021 Smoke and Mirrors, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
2020 Classy, Bayside Gallery, Victoria
2018 The Weekend, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
2017 A Dog Named Chop, Hugo Michell, Adelaide
Heiser Gallery, Brisbane
2016 Do I Look Like I Care, La Trobe University Museum of Art, Melbourne
2013 Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney
2011 Heiser Gallery, Brisbane
Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Sydney
2009 Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Sydney
2008 Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Sydney
2007 Crossley & Scott Contemporary, Melbourne
2005 Crossley & Scott Contemporary, Melbourne
2004 Kaliman Gallery, Sydney
2003 Crossley & Scott Contemporary, Melbourne
Kaliman Gallery, Sydney
2001 Spare Room, Project Space, RMIT, Melbourne
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 Shadow Boxer, Maitland Regional Gallery, Maitland
2019 Sydney Contemporary, Hugo Michell Gallery, Sydney
2018 So Fine: Contemporary Women Artists Make Australian History, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
2017 Video Easy, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
Let’s Play: The Art of Our Time, Bunjil Place, Melbourne
Play On: 10 Years of the Basil Sellers, touring, NETS
2016 Basil Sellers Art Prize 5, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
The Popular Pet Show, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
National Works on Paper Prize, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, VIC Luminous: 100 Years of Watercolour, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Adelaide Biennial: Magic Object, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
2015 National Self-Portrait Prize, UQ Art Museum, Brisbane
Hazelhurst Art on Paper Prize, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Sydney
Basil Sellers Art Prize 4, Samstag Museum, Adelaide
2014 Basil Sellers Art Prize 4, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 2013 The Sixth, West Space, Melbourne
2012 Man and Beast, Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Sydney
Self-Conscious: Contemporary Portraiture, Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne R&M McGivern Prize
Beleura National Works on Paper, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, VIC
2011 Hazelhurst Art Award, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Sydney
2010 Melbourne Art Fair, Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Melbourne Gaze, Redland Art Gallery, Redland, QLD
Beleura National Works on Paper, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, VIC
Change, Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne
2009 Shilo Project, Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne (touring to regional galleries)
Heads, Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Sydney 2008 Melbourne Art Fair, Artbank, Melbourne
2007 Australian Works on Paper, Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Sydney
2006 Winners are Grinners, PICA, Perth and Meat Market, Melbourne
Kilgour Prize, Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, Newcastle, NSW 2005 This and Other Worlds, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Important Works on Paper, Crossley & Scott Contemporary, Melbourne 2004 Siblings, Project Space, RMIT, Melbourne
Redlands Westpac Art Prize
2003 Clemenger Acquisition, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
2002 National Works on Paper Prize, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, Victoria
2001 Jon Campbell’s Rock the Boat, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2018 Archibald Prize (finalist)
2015 UQ National Self-Portrait Prize
2014 Basil Sellers Art Prize 4 (People’s Choice Award)
2010 Australia Council for the Arts, London Studio Residency
COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Artbank, Sydney
Geelong Gallery, Geelong, VIC
The M Collection, Melbourne
Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland, NSW
Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne
Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, VIC
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, Newcastle, NSW
UQ Art Museum, Brisbane
Private collections