Nell (artist) facts for kids

Nell (born in 1975) is a famous Australian artist. She creates many different kinds of art, including paintings, sculptures, and videos. She is also known for her performance art, where the art is a live action she performs, and installations, which are large artworks that can fill an entire room.

Nell has won important awards for her unique work. In 2017, her hometown of Maitland honored her by adding her to its Hall of Fame for her contributions to the arts. She currently lives and creates her art in Sydney, Australia.

Early Life and Education

Nell was born in Maitland, New South Wales, in 1975. Her wife is the well-known chef Kylie Kwong. Nell is also a student of Buddhist philosophy, which sometimes influences her art.

She had a world-class education in art. She studied at the Sydney College of the Arts in Australia under artist Lindy Lee. She also learned from famous artists like Joan Jonas in Los Angeles and Annette Messager in Paris. This experience helped her develop her own special style.

Art and Career

Nell's art often explores big ideas by comparing opposites, like life and death or happiness and sadness. She is inspired by the energy of rock 'n roll music. You can often spot repeating symbols in her work, such as smiley faces, lightning bolts, clouds, and suns.

Gaining Recognition

Nell's art has been shown in more than 200 exhibitions around the world. A big moment in her early career was in 1999. She was chosen for the Primavera exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney. This special show features the best young artists in Australia.

She also had shows in other countries, including the Netherlands and India. Her first major museum exhibition in Australia was at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2001.

Major Projects and Exhibitions

In 2011, the famous Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart asked Nell to create a special exhibition. She also created exciting performance art pieces, including one called It's a Long Way to the Top.

Her work continued to be shown in major galleries. In 2016, she was part of the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. Her installation, called The Wake, was so popular that the Art Gallery of South Australia bought it for its permanent collection.

Working with Fashion and in Public Spaces

Nell has also brought her art into the world of fashion. She worked with the Australian designers Romance Was Born. Their collection was so successful that The Monthly magazine called it a "Masterpiece of Australian Fashion."

She enjoys creating art outside of traditional galleries. She has performed at the famous Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts in England and created installations for public spaces. In 2017, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne asked her to make a large outdoor sculpture for their garden.

Awards and Special Opportunities

Nell has received many awards for her creative work. In 2001, she won the People's Choice Award at the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize. She also won the University of Queensland Self-Portrait Award in 2013 for a video art piece.

She has been invited to be an artist-in-residence in many places, including Rome, Beijing, and Canberra. This means she was given a special place to live and work on her art.

Since 2017, she has worked from a studio at Carriageworks in Sydney. This location is special to her family. Her great-grandfather and great-uncle once worked at the same site when it was a railway workshop.