BIOGRAPHY – Samantha Thompson
‘There’s a comical streak… I can’t take anything too seriously’
Samantha Thompson (b. 1978) is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist and regional arts advocate based in regional Victoria, Australia. With a highly successful career spanning over 25 years, Thompson is renowned for her vibrant, playful and feminist themed artworks. Utilising traditional craft techniques and a variety of traditional medias, Thompson considers how to engage adult in play and feminist themes in her academically researched works. The process of creation is a form of play, as is the outcome of many of her works. Upcycling textiles and craft items, mixed with printmaking and hand stitching, Thompson process is quick and fearless, producing a flurry of work. The handmade nature of her work, colours and size considerations produce considered installations and dynamic playsuits for people to wear.
Thompson was born in Sydney in 1978 to parents of US descent. She credits her experiences in the family fashion business as being instrumental to her progression as a professional artist. Her early ventures in the creative arts saw her developing product shoots and design campaigns for an international fashion label while producing and selling original work. Thompson completed a Bachelor of Studio Textile Design at RMIT University in 2009, majoring in Studio Print and Weave, and graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts in 2021. Completing the Masters of Contemporary Art, from The Victorian College of the Arts in 2023, Thompson continues to develop her practice which is continuing to transform into performance and public art and installations.
While previously known for her bold pastel pieces, Thompson’s diverse oeuvre includes textile art, traditional craft, printmaking, mixed media, and most recently, soft sculpture and performance and public art offerings. With bold, uninterrupted lines, playful themes, and strong aesthetics, Thompson’s works are a fluent expression of her optimism and originality. Her layered domestic scenes and confident use of patterns pay homage to her formative studies in traditional textile techniques and family craft. This unique blend of practical skill and personality has paved the way for her recent boundary-pushing ‘Relationship to play’ series, which examines why and when adults play, and encourages us to embrace more of a playful attitude. Thompson has exhibited in numerous galleries across Australia and produced 22 solo exhibitions since 2003. Thompson has also exhibited internationally, and her works can be found in private and public collections.
Education
2010 - Diploma of Arts (Studio Textiles and Design) - RMIT
2021 - Graduate Certificate in Visual Art - Victorian College of the Arts/Melbourne University
2023 - Masters of Contemporary Art - Victorian College of the Arts/Melbourne University
2024 - Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies/Deakin University (ongoing)
Community Arts-Culture Projects/Grants/Residency’s
2024 April - Invited Artist to present “Stop/Think/Play” Public Art Performance - MPravillion - Melbourne University
2024 March - Recipient of Q Bank Gallery Artist residency - Queenstown - Tasmania
2023 Oct/Nov - Recipient of TEST PROJECT (Public Art grant) - Melbourne City Council - Melbourne
2023 Oct - Invited Artist to facilitate workshop - Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades - Ballarat - Victoria
2023 July - Invited Speaker - Project Vic(Toria) - Melbourne University - Melbourne
2023 June - Dark MOFO - FOH - Hobart - Tasmania
2023 May - EDGE Art Camp on the GreenWay - Residency and art activations - Inner West Sydney.
2023 All year - The Place to Make initiative - Residency - Geelong Art Centre - Victoria.
2023 April - Lead artist - Workshops with Golden Plains Shire/Geelong Regional Library Corp.
2023 April - Lead artist - Recovery through the arts, Moorabool Shire Council/Vic Emergency.
2022 Nov - Invited Artist to facilitate workshop for “all staff day” Geelong Regional Library corp, Geelong Library and Heritage Centre.
2022 Aug/Sept Creative Producer for “Tasting” held at the George Paton Gallery, Melbourne University.2022 March/May - Creative art/school holiday workshops for Dandenong Council.
2021/ 22 - Creative Collective Memory Arts project for Geelong Regional Library.
2021 Aug - Youth online art workshops for Golden Plains Shire Council.
2020 April - Binary Code Project, Creative response with The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre - Geelong design week.
2020 Jan+ - Individual Art Therapy with Helping Hero’s Therapy Services.
2020 April - Youth Week projection art exhibition with Golden Plains Shire.
2019 Dec - 12 Days of Christmas windows with Ballarat Council.
2019 June - Winter Art trail “Winter Arts festival” with Ballarat Council.
2019 Jan - The BOP Arts Co Op annual Art Exhibition and yearly workshops.
Solo Exhibitions
2024 March - Q Bank Gallery, Queenstown, Tasmania “Not a Tassie Devil”
2023 Apr - The Memo, Healesville, Victoria “Relationship to play”
2023 Jan - Garnar Lane Light Boxes, Dandenong, Melbourne, “Rampaging Critters”
2022 Oct - Platform Arts, Craft Contemporary 2022 / Satellite Program, Geelong “The take over”
2021 Jun - Brunswick Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne - “2 Face Series”
2021 Jan – Creative Arts Napier, Napier, NZ - “2 Face Series ”
2020 Jun - Walker Street Gallery, Dandenong, VIC - “Luna“
2019 Sep - Knox Immerse, Knox City, VIC - “Solitaire”
2019 Aug - Tacit Galleries, Collingwood, VIC - “Hypnosis ”
2019 Mar - Barn Gallery, Montsalvat, Eltham, VIC - Recent Works
2018 Apr - Tokyo International Art Fair, Tokyo, Japan - “Object Impressions”
2017 Mar - Unicorn Lane Gallery, Ballarat, VIC - “Object”
2015 Oct - “I Dream in Colour” - Fire Station Print Gallery - Armadale, VIC
2014 Oct - Little Creatures, Geelong, VIC – Recent works
2012 Oct - MAD Gallery, VIC - “MOD”
2010 - Samantha Thompson Studio, Geelong, VIC - “Love and tragedy under the big top”
2010 - The White Room Gallery, Brunswick, VIC - “Retrospective”
2009 - The Convent Gallery, Daylesford, VIC - “Light and Dark”
2008 - Collective Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC – Recent works
2008 - Territories Colours Gallery, Darwin, NT - “Colour Me”
2007 - Fringe Festival, Melbourne, VIC - “Pastels and Pearls”
2005 - St. Kilda, VIC - “Postcards from Hawaii”
2003 - Brunswick Gallery, Melbourne, VIC - “A Star is Born”
Selected Group Shows
2023
March -Threads - Coal Creek Community Park and Museum – Korumburra, Victoria
Aug - Masters 2nd Year Exhibition - VCA Gallery - Melbourne University, Melbourne
Oct - Stitching Change Exhibition - Forty Five Downstairs Gallery - Melbourne - Selected Artist
Nov - Graduation Exhibition - Masters of Contemporary Art - Southbank Compass -Victorian College of the Arts - Melbourne
2022
Sept - Radical Self Care - George Paton Gallery - Melbourne University (Parkville)
Sept - Stitching Change Exhibition (Naarm Textile Collective)- Assembly Point - Melbourne
May - When you think about feminism, what do you think? - George Paton Gallery - Melbourne
May - New works- The Other Art Fair - Meat Market - Melbourne
2021
Oct - Stitching Change Exhibition - Forty Five Down stairs Gallery - Melbourne - Selected Artist
Oct/Nov - Printmakers Exhibition - Shearers Arms Gallery - Geelong - Victoria
March - “Make a Fuss” exhibition - Queen Victoria Women’s Centre - Melbourne - Selected Artist
2020
April - May - Belconnen Arts Centre -”F A C E Unframed” - Canberra
May - Queenscliff Gallery - Queenscliff, VIC - “Human Emotion Print Exchange and Exhibition” -Selected artist
2019
Nov – EGAG WRAP, Bainsdale, VIC - “Small Artwork Prize”
Nov - Shearers Arms Gallery, Geelong, VIC - “Printmakers exhibition” Peoples choice award
Nov - Blue Mountain Printmaker Exhibition, Glenbrook, NSW - “BMCAC Print Prize”
Oct - Buninyong Art Prize and Exhibition, Ballarat, VIC
Oct - Albert Park College, Melbourne, VIC – “The Albert Park College Art Show” - Selected artist
Oct - FPS RELIEF PRINT Exhibition “Home” with WEA Sydney, Mount Gambia, SA - “NSW & Thumbprint Workshop Inc”
Sep - Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks, Sydney – Represented Fire station Print Studio Artist
Sep - Knox Immerse, Ferntree Gully, VIC - “Solitaire” - Selected artist
May - The Other Art Fair, Kensington, Melbourne, VIC
Mar - F Project Gallery, Warrnambool, VIC - “2019 South West International Women’s Day Art Prize” - Finalist
2018
Oct - Parallax Art Fair, Chelsea, London - Exhibitor
Sep - Tussock Upstairs Gallery, Point Lonsdale, Victoria
Jun - Waverly Art Prize, Bondi, Sydney
May - FPS at II Bisonte, Firestation Print Gallery, Florence, Italy
May - Tokyo International Art Fair, Tokyo, Japan - Exhibitor
Mar - Wyndham Art Prize 2018, Werribee, VIC - Finalist
2017
Nov - Summer Salon 2017, Armadale, VIC
Nov - Hornsby Art Prize, Hornsby, NSW – Finalist - Honourable mention for Printmaking
Nov - Art Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW - “30x30 Art Prize”
Nov - National Still Life Awards, Coffs Harbour, NSW – Finalist (work acquired by Gallery)
Oct - 42nd Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards, Gladstone, QLD - (Both pieces acquired by gallery, “Treasures” and “Jimble Jamble”)
Sep - Gippsland Print Awards, Sale, VIC
Oct - Art of the Minds Exhibition, Aireys Inlet, VIC
Aug - Flanagan Art Exhibition, Ballarat, VIC - Finalist
Jul - Waverley Art Prize, Bondi, NSW - Finalist and Winner - Print Section
Feb - Backspace Gallery, Ballarat, VIC - “Dogs in Art”
Jan - Sally Walker Project Space, Geelong, VIC - “On Water”
2016
Dec - Bannockburn Cultural Centre, Bannockburn, VIC
Sep - Bellarine Print Prize, VIC
Aug - Firestation Print Studio Remote Members Exhibition, VIC
Jun - Cardwell Art Prize, QLD
Jun - Leonora Art Prize, WA
May - John Shaw Neilson Art Prize, SA
2015 to 2000
2015 - Derinya Art and Craft Exhibition, VIC
2015 - Beth Hulme Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC - “Collage Exhibition”
2014 - Firestation Print Studio, Armadale, VIC - “Summer Salon”
2014 - Artboy Gallery, Prahran, VIC - “Fanboy vs ArtBoy - 7 Deadly Sins”
2014 - Firestation Print Studio, Armadale, VIC - “FEDERATION SQUARE Exhibition”
2014 - Ficifolia Festival Art Show, Drouin, VIC
2013 - Derinya Art and Craft Exhibition, VIC
2013 - St Joseph’s College Art Expo, VIC
2012 - Wool Museum, Geelong, VIC - “Streets are alive”
2012 - Parallax Art Fair, Chelsea Town Hall, London
2012 - Art Expo Sydney, Sydney, NSW
2012 - City Library Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2012 – Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, QLD - Art Expo
2012 - Derinya Art and Craft Exhibition
2012 - St Joseph’s College - Art Expo
2011 – Pier 92, New York - Art Expo
2010 - Art at Watergarden, Geelong, VIC - “Icon”
2010 - Month Albert, Melbourne, VIC - “Group Show”
2009 - Pigment Gallery, Melbourne, VIC - “Black and White, Shades of Grey”
2009 - R.M.I.T Brunswick Campus, Melbourne, VIC - “R.M.I.T Group Show”
2009 - Palm House Gallery, Sydney, NSW - “Out of the Blue”
2008 - Caulfield Race Course, Melbourne, VIC - “Chairs for Charity”
2008 - Guangzhou International Art Fair, China
2007 - Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, VIC - “Melbourne Art Show”
2007 - Kingston Arts Centre, Melbourne, VIC - “Out in the South”
2006 - Kingston Arts Centre, Melbourne, VIC - “Gifted”
2005 - Dandenong, VIC - “She Who Inspires” - Finalist
2003-2008 - Linden Gallery, Melbourne, VIC - “Postcard Show”
2001 - London, U.K - “Art Contest” - Excellence Award
2000 - First Light Art Show, Napier, New Zealand
