DAMIEN SHEN
ARTIST CV November 2022
Damien is represented by MARS GALLERY, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
PH: 03 9521 7517
EMAIL: andy@marsgallery.com.au
Damien Shen is a South Australian man of Ngarrindjeri (Aboriginal) and Chinese descent. As an artist he draws on both of these powerful cultural influences to create works of intense personal meaning. In using his artistic talent to share his story he aims to open the eyes of viewers to new ways of seeing Australian identity and Aboriginal art.
EXHIBITIONS (Group and Solo)
2023 Oct /Nov– ’Yellah Fellah’ Adelaide Festival Centre, SA
2023 Aug/Oct – ‘Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia’, Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand
2023 July/Sep– ’Alt/Text’ Incinerator Gallery, Vic
2023 July – ’Entombed in Joy’ (MARS Gallery, Melbourne)
2023 June – ’Kumangka - Together, in one, in company’ Gallery M, Marion, SA
2022 Dec/ Jan– ’Yellah Fellah’ Manning Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2022 May/Sep– ‘Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia’, National Gallery of Singapore
2022 May/July– ‘While You Were Sleeping Vol.2, aMBUSH Gallery, ANU, ACT
2022 April/June – ‘Old ways, new ways’, Monash Gallery of Art, VIC
2021 Feb/April – ‘The Gathering’, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, WA
2021 Jan/Mar – ‘Stone from another mountain, Benalla Art Gallery, Vic
2020 December – ‘Body Language’, The Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie, NSW
2020 April/ May – ‘A Stone from Another Mountain’ (MARS Gallery, Melbourne)
2020 Jan/ March – Collection of The Hon. Paul Guest OAM QC (Bendigo Art Gallery, Vic)
2019 November – ‘Between Two Worlds’, Newcastle Gallery, NSW
2019 October – Tarnanthi, Adelaide, SA
2019 October/November – Incinerator Gallery, Aberfeldie, Vic
2019 August/November – 36th Telstra Art Award (Museum and Art Gallery of NT, Darwin)
2019 August – ‘One In, All In’, Yarta Purtli Art Gallery, Port Augusta
2019 July – ‘Olive Cotton Award’, Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah, NSW
2019 June – ‘One In, All In’, Walter Nichols Art Gallery, Port Lincoln, SA
2019 May – ‘While you were sleeping’, Australian National University, ACT
2019 May – ‘Body Language’, National Gallery of Australia, ACT
2019 May – ‘Unbranded’, La Trobe Art Institute, VIC
2019 April – ‘One In, All In’, Tandanya, Adelaide, SA
2019 March - Castlemaine Arts Festival, VIC
2018 November – Collection of The Hon. Paul Guest OAM QC (Bendigo Art Gallery, Vic)
2018 August – SALA Festival (SASA Gallery, UniSA, Adelaide)
2018 September - King & Wood Mallesons Contemporary ATSI Art Prize (Sydney, NSW)
2018 August – Spring 1883 (Melbourne, Vic)
2018 June/July - Stanthorpe Art Prize (Stanthorpe, NSW)
2018 June – ‘The unity of oppression’ (Murray Bridge Regional Gallery, SA)
2018 April – ‘The unity of oppression’ (Nexus Arts, SA)
2018 March – ‘30/30 Vision’ (Prospect Gallery, SA)
2018 March – ‘Collectors Space’ (May Space, Sydney)
2018 Feb – ‘Resolution’ NGA Tour (Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, NSW)
2018 Feb – ‘Passenger’ (Perera-Picco Artpace, SA)
2018 Jan/Feb– ‘TELL’ Sydney Festival (NSW)
2017 Nov – ‘National Still Life Award’ (Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW)
2017 Nov – ‘Not Fair’ (Windsor, VIC)
2017 Nov – ‘Fisher Ghost Art Award’ (Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW)
2017 October – ‘Namatjira Project Auction (Art Gallery of South Australia, SA)
2017 October – ‘Bowness Prize’ (Monash Gallery of Art, VIC)
2017 October – ‘Tarnanthi ATSI Art Festival’ (Tandanya, Adelaide, SA)
2017 October – ‘Romancing the skull (Ballarat Art Gallery, VIC)
2017 Sept– ‘9 Hours Underground’ Sydney Opera House (NSW)
2017 Aug/Sept– ‘TELL’ Ballarat International Foto Biennale (Vic)
2017 Aug/Oct – ‘Resolution’ NGA Tour (Shepparton Art Museum, Shepparton, VIC)
2017 July – ‘BLAK MIRROR’ (Gallery Lane Cove, Lane Cove, NSW)
2017 July – ‘Naidoc Week’ (MARS Gallery, Melbourne, VIC)
2017 July – ‘On the fabric of the Ngarrindjeri body Vol II’ (CS Gallery, Melton, VIC)
2017 June/Oct – ‘On the fabric….Vol II’ (Monash Civic Centre, VIC)
2017 June/July – ‘Speaking as country’ (Murray Bridge Regional Gallery, SA)
2017 June/Aug – ‘Resolutions’ NGA Tour (Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, NT)
2017 May/July – ‘Looking at You Through Me’ (Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW)
2017 May – ‘SALA Expo’ - Dashun Gallery, Jinan (Shandong, China)
2017 April – ‘Wonderwalls Festival’ (Hart’s Mill, Port Adelaide, SA)
2017 May – Kaurna Room group show (Tandanya)
2017 April/May – ‘The 64th Blake Prize Tour’ (Kinross Arts Centre, Toorak, Vic)
2017 Mar/May – ‘Resolution’ NGA Tour (Perc Tucker Gallery, Townsville, QLD)
2017 March – ‘Wyndham Art Prize’ (Wyndham Art Gallery, Melbourne)
2017 Feb – ‘The 64th Blake Prize Tour’ (Delmar Gallery, NSW)
2016 Dec – ‘Rightfully Ours, Rightfully Yours’ (Perth Centre for Photography, WA)
2016 Nov/Dec – ‘The 64th Blake Prize Tour’ (Wangaratta Art Gallery, NSW)
2016 Sept/Dec – ‘Resolution’ (Tweed River Art Gallery, NSW)
2016 Sept/Dec – ‘On the fabric of the Ngarrindjeri body’ (Kluge-Ruhe, Virginia, USA)
2016 Sept/Nov – ‘Divine Interventions’ (Nexus Arts, Adelaide)
2016 September – (MARS Gallery, Melbourne)
2016 June – ‘We walk into the fire’ (Alaska Projects, Sydney)
2016 June – ‘The People who belong to this land’ (Adelaide Town Hall)
2016 June – ‘Chippendale Art New World Prize’ (Sydney)
2016 June – ‘Body of Evidence’ (Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide)
2016 March – ‘Wyndham Art Prize’ (Wyndham Art Gallery, Melbourne)
2016 February/April – ‘The 64th Blake Prize’ (Casula Powerhouse, Sydney)
2016 February/March – ‘New Journeys’ (Kapunda Community Gallery, SA)
2016 February – ‘Fire Monkey Studio’ (Hawke Centre, Adelaide)
2015 December – ‘2015 Prospect Portraiture Prize’ (Prospect Gallery)
2015 October/November – ‘New Journeys’ (Port Pirie, SA)
2015 October – ‘Reconciliation Room’ (Adelaide Town Hall, SA)
2015 October – ‘Tarnanthi ATSI Art Festival’ (SA Migration Museum)
2015 October/December – Our Mob 2015 (Adelaide Festival Centre)
2015 October/November – ‘Whyalla Art Prize’ (Whyalla, SA)
2015 August/November – Telstra Art Award (Museum and Art Gallery of NT, Darwin)
2015 August/September – SALA Week (Adelaide Airport)
2015 August/September – SALA Week (Advertiser Building, Adelaide)
2015 June/July – ‘New Journeys’ (Signal Point Gallery, Goolwa SA)
2015 May/June – ‘Ngarrindjeri Expressions’ (Murray Bridge Regional Gallery)
2015 March/April – ‘New Journeys’ (Walkway Gallery, Bordertown)
2015 January/February – ‘New Journeys’ (Port Augusta Cultural Centre)
2014 October/November– ‘Our Mob 2014’ (Adelaide Festival Centre)
2014 October – ‘Convergence’ (Adelaide Airport)
2014 September – ‘DNA – Deadly Nui Art (Blak Dot Gallery, Melbourne)
2014 September – ‘Displacement placement replacement’ (Nexus Gallery)
2014 July/August – ‘Convergence’ (Tandanya)
2014 May/June – ‘Urban indigenous Stories’ (Prospect Gallery)
2014 April/June - ‘Drawing on the heroes who shape us’ (Artspace Gallery)
UPCOMING EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
TBA
EDUCATION
2007 Graduate Certificate in Management Australian Institute of Business
2000 Bachelor of Visual Communications (Illustration) University of South Australia
AWARDS
2020 Bowness Art Prize (Finalist)
2019 Incinerator Art Award (Finalist)
2019 Olive Cotton Award (Finalist)
2019 36th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (Finalist)
2018 King & Wood Mallesons Contemporary ATSI Art Prize (Finalist)
2018 Stanthorpe Art Prize (Finalist)
2017 Fisher Ghost Art Award (Finalist)
2017 National Still Life Art Prize (Finalist)
2017 Bowness Art Prize (Finalist)
2017 3rd Biennial RSASA Portrait Prize (finalist)
2017 Wyndham Art Prize (Finalist)
2016 Chippendale Art New World Prize (Finalist)
2016 Wyndham Art Prize (Finalist)
2016 The 64th Blake Prize (Winner - Emerging Artist Category)
2015 Prospect Portraiture Prize (Winner)
2015 Whyalla Art Prize (Finalist)
2015 32nd Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (Finalist)
2014 South Australian NAIDOC Award – Artist of the Year (Winner)
RESIDENCIES
2017 May – SALA Artist delegation to Jinan (Shandong, China)
2016 October - Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection (Virginia, USA)
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
National Gallery of Australia (ACT)
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection (Virginia, USA)
Monash Gallery of Art (VIC)
Art Gallery of Ballarat (VIC)
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (NSW)
Adelaide Festival Centre (SA)
Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute (SA)
City of Prospect - Prospect Art Gallery (SA)
Murray Bridge Regional Gallery (SA)
New Castle Art Gallery (NSW)