Fiona Chandler is a water colour artist who lives in Freshwater, Sydney. She is interested in capturing the beauty of the natural world, especially nature’s unique colours and texture. Depicting nature at its most vulnerable. After 18 years as a designer/illustrator, in 2014, Fiona made the leap to becoming a full-time artist. Fiona’s works live with people excited by colour and nature. By working with watercolour and mixed media, Fiona creates fluidity in her work; subtle washes, bright colours, and fine lines that gently move across large pieces of paper and the canvas. The idea of decay highlights the ecological crisis, even though Fiona’s artworks appeal to the beauty of aesthetics, they can serve as a reminder to protect and love the environment we live in.
Fiona holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the University of Newcastle and a Masters in Design from the University of Technology Sydney.
Education
2001 Masters of Design, University of Technology Sydney, Australia 1994 Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts), The University of Newcastle, NSW
Initiatives
2017 Co-Founded Sydney Road Gallery, a co-operative artist gallery in Seaforth, Sydney 2014 Established Creatives in Conversation Series at MAG&M with Creative Womens Circle, Sydney
Selected shows include:
2021-20 History Repeats, Jo Neville, Julie Paterson and Fiona Chandler, MAG&M
2020 Girt by Sea, Sydney Road Gallery (solo exhibition 2019 Mosman Art Prize, Finalist, Sydney
Touch ii, Gaffa Gallery, Sydney
2018 Oil and Water Don’t Mix, Sydney Road Gallery (solo exhibition), 30 Aug – 22 Sep Floating Land – Fiona Chandler and Sarah Montgomery, The Corner Store Gallery (TCSG), Orange, NSW
2017 HUMAN: child artist response project, MAG&M 2016 Lethbridge 10000 Art Award, Finalist, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
2015 Lethbridge 10000 Art Award, Finalist, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane, Qld.
Group Shows include:
2019 -17
Linden Postcard Show, presented by Linden New Art at Domain House, Melbourne,
Mini Solo, Platform 72, Sydney
Group Show, Paper Pear, Wagga Wagga, NSW Art/Vert, Saint Cloche Gallery (now Saint Cloche), Sydney
Just A Second, Print Exchange, Brooklyn Art Library New York, USA
New Batch, Platform 72, Sydney
2015
A4 Art Australia Exhibition 2015, Contemporary Art Society of Victoria, Herring Island Gallery, Melbourne Art Publications
2018
Bishop, Jen. “Disruptive Sydney art gallery celebrates first year.” Interiors Addict, 17 July 2018.
2016
Chandler, Fiona. “Escaping to an Island.” Huff Post, 1 Aug 2016
2015
Vangool, Janine and Dresser, Glen. The UPPERCASE Compendium of Craft and Creativity, Alberta: Uppercase Publishing inc, 2015.
2014
Chandler, Fiona. “Fermented Memories.” The Planthunter, 28 April 2014
Chandler, Fiona. “True Cost/Perceived Value: Flowers & Art.” The Planthunter, 29 Sep 2014
Employment
2017 – Current
Co-Founder, Sydney Road Gallery, Sydney
2014 – 2001
Freelancer, art and illustrations for magazines, television, books, digital, tabletop and textiles, Sydney
2012 – 2007
Creative Director, Fiona Kate, Sydney
2005 – 1997
Art Director, Housewares International, Sydney
1995
Graphic designer, TIME inc, Sydney
Professional Development
Current
Presenter, Creative Conversation Series, held annually through Creative Women’s Circle, MAG&M, Sydney
Collections
Corporate and private collections in Australia