Lucy Hersey
Lucy Hersey is an emerging artist from regional Victoria.
Sustainability, and a connection to nature is central to her practice, as she collects natural materials, mainly clays and earth, to mix her own earth pigment based paints. Her local landscape informs her paintings, and is primarily the subject, from rolling Gippsland hills, and expansive skies, to intimate gullies and secret streams.
Familiarity, nostalgia and trying to paint the way places can make us feel, is a thread that runs through all of Lucy’s collections, which have been exhibited with The Moree Gallery, Gallery Raye and other Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula galleries. Lucy was also shortlisted for the 2022 Ravenswood Australian Womens Art Prize.
Self taught, and having developed her own techniques for painting in earth, Lucy’s passion for her work is matched by a curiosity to see how far the medium can be taken. She says: "My focus in the studio at the moment is on making work I am wholly invested in, following my instincts, and being truly honest in my painting. I feel so privileged to be where I am right now, able to do this work and have all the possibilities of paint ahead of me.”
Exhibitions and awards
Galleries
The Moree Gallery (NSW) & Gallery Raye (Sunshine Coast)
Residencies and awards
2023
Gippsland Art Gallery Summer School – Glenmaggie, Vic
2022
FLOAT Inc - artist in residence, Lake Tyers - Vic.
Ravenswood Womens Australian Art Prize – Shortlisted finalist, emerging category.
2021
Artists in Spaces – Selected by South Gippsland Shire Council to make art in public space residency, Mirboo North, Vic.
Curating and community projects
2023
South Gippsland Shire Arts Advisory Council board member.
2022
ARC winery bottle label release - 12 new paintings for 12 different wines by the ARC winery (Warragul) to be released over the 2023 season.
Curated The Secret Garden community exhibition, Loch Village.
Curated MATERIAL OBSESSION Exhibition group exhibition for the Blackwood gallery.
2018
Coordinated an artist in residence program, embedding nine artists within the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute over 12 months. The program culminated with an exhibition of works made by the artists in response to the research and scientists, where the works were sold to fundraise for the institute.
Loch Village Art Council – small volunteer group coordinating and funding infrastructure/art projects and local exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
2022
Golden Moments - Gallery Raye, Sunshine Coast, QLD
ARTEMIS - Little Oberon Gallery, Fish Creek, Vic
2021
My Favourite Places – Blackroom Gallery, Flinders, Vic
Steep – Mirboo North, Vic
2018
Fond Farewell – Meeniyan Art Gallery, Vic
Group exhibitions
2022
WRAP – East Gippsland Art Gallery, Bairnsdale
Summer Smalls – Cook Street Collective, Flinders, Vic
The Secret Garden - Loch Village (community exhibition, also curated by me)
Spring Tide - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Vic
Naturalistic - Kerri Greens Barrel room, Flinders, Vic
Nocturne - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Vic
MATERIAL OBSESSION – Blackroom Gallery, Flinders, Vic
Ravenswood Womens Australian Art Prize Finalists Exhibition, NSW
Infinite Space – The Moree Gallery, Moree, NSW
Immeasurable (International Womens Day) – Meeniyan Art Gallery
Landscape Interrupted – Stockyard Gallery, Foster, VIC
2021
Earthworks – Meeniyan Art Gallery, Meeniyan, Vic FLORA – Heritage Hill Gallery, Dandenong, Vic
2020
My Still Life – No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
Home – The Corner Store Gallery, Orange, NSW
2018
Speaking about self care – Maggies Art Space, Collingwood, Vic Regeneration, an exhibition – St Heliers Street Gallery, Abbotsford, Vic Small works – YEPgallery, Foster, Vic
Decade – Incub8r gallery, Fitzroy, Vic