ELIZABETH CLOSE ARTS
ARTIST BIO
Elizabeth Yanyi Close is an Anangu woman from the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Language Groups, whose family links are to the communities of Pukutja and Amata in the APY Lands. Elizabeth was born in Adelaide but grew up in outback SA, returning to Adelaide to complete her secondary schooling, and attend University to complete a Bachelor of Nursing and a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Nursing. Elizabeth worked as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department of a busy Adelaide Metropolitan Hospital for a decade, while using art as a means of processing the intergenerational trauma and its impact on her family. In 2007, Elizabeth began to paint professionally and exhibit her work throughout Adelaide and her practice organically grew as she balanced nursing, art and motherhood. By 2014 she had built up a full-time arts practice, and after the birth of their second child, Elizabeth and her husband decided to move home to the APY so that they could immerse their children in their culture and language. Elizabeth reconnected with much of her Grandmothers family and learned much more about her family, her Tjukurpa and her Country from her Tjamu. This growth as an Aboriginal woman was profoundly reflected in the evolution of her artwork. Elizabeth is based in Adelaide and has three Purungu Skin Anangu children; Isaiah Yungana, Emmeline Tjikatu and Bentji Nganantju; and a dingo with no tail.
ARTIST CV
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Employment
2021 - Peer Assessor, Australia Council for the Arts
2020 - Peer Assessor, Arts SA Public Art, Visual Art, Craft and Design and Covid Response
2019 Workshop facilitator, Guest Curator for Neo and Speaker, Art Gallery of South Australia
2019 Artist-in-Residence, Arts in Health, Flinders Medical Centre
2019 Peer Assessor, Arts SA ATSI panel
2006-Present Freelance Professional Visual Artist
2006 -2016 Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, Flinders Medical Centre
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Achievements
Finalist - Adelaide Hills Landscape Prize, 2022
City of Port Adelaide Enfield Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award for Contribution to the Arts 2020
Finalist - Heysen Landscape Prize 2020
Finalist - Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, 2021
Exhibitions
While you Were Sleeping Vol 2, aMBUSH @ Kambri, Canberra
Mirdilyayanthi for Tarnanthi 2021, WCH
LT3 for Tarnanthi, 2021 - Hahndorf Academy,
Adelaide X, Post Office Projects, 2021
Duality, FELTspace, 2021
'A Close 3rd', 2021, Post Office Projects
'Conversations with Country' 2021 Centre for Creative Health
'Grains of Sand' 2020, Centre for Creative Health
‘Our Mob’ - finalist, 2019
‘Substance that Promotes Healing’ - exhibition and artist-in-residence, FMC Arts in Health - SALA 2019
‘While You Were Sleeping’ - Ambush Gallery, ANU, Canberra - 2019
‘Aboriginal Contemporary Arts’ Inaugural Exhibition, Aldinga SA - 2019
‘Heysen Sculpture Biennial’ - 2019
‘Our Mob’ finalist - 2018
‘Because of Her’ South Australian College of the Arts - 2018
‘Red Dust Rough Diamond’ solo exhibition, Black Diamond - SALA 2018
Giant Dog-Bowl exhibition for the SA/NT Guide Dog Association - 2018
‘Because of Her’ Tandanya - 2018
‘Kumangka’ Gallery M - 2018
‘Our Mob’ finalist - 2017
‘Kumangka’ Gallery M - 2017
‘Kurunpa’ solo exhibition - SALA 2016
‘Kumangka’ Living Kaurna Cultural Centre – 2014
‘Kumangka’ Gallery M – 2013
‘Our Mob’ finalist - Art Space, Adelaide Festival Theatre - 2011
Notable Public Artworks
Post Office Projects Facade, 2021
Royal Children's Hospital, mentorship of Wurundjeri Artist, Sam Roberts, 2021
Para Hills Community Centre, 2021, Collaboration with Thomas Readett
No Fixed Address Lane, collaboration with Thomas Readett and Shane Cook 2021
Adelaide Railway Station, collaboration with Thomas Readett, 2021
Paradise Interchange, collaboration with Thomas Readett and Seb Humpreys, 2020
Goodwood Railway Station, collaboration with Shane Cook and Thomas Readett, 2020
Elizabeth Railway Station, 2019
The Lights Community Centre, collaboration with Thomas Readett - August 2019
Adelaide Zoo - July 2019
The Ripples, Cherbourg France, collaboration with James Cochran - May 2019
Rosetta Street Underpass, West Croydon, collaboration with Joel Van Moore aka Vans The Omega, Jake Holmes, Mat Dopheide, Sam Brooks, Fortrose, Lee Harnden - March 2019
Hawthorn Community Centre - December 2018
Big Picture Festival, mentorship of emerging Nukunu artist Jessica Turner in the installation of a mural for the Port Pirie Regional Council - 2018
Westfield Tea Tree Plaza ‘you, me, together’ collaboration with Georgia Hill, 2018
Westfield Tea Tree Plaza ‘Nganana’ - 2018
Saana festival collaboration with Kenyan artist Kaymist, 2018
Ilyapinna - Rundle Street, Adelaide CBD, collaboration with James Cochran, 2018
Gadlabarti - Wright Street Adelaide CBD, collaboration with James Cochran, 2018
Carbon Creative, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane 2017
Blackwood Railway Station, 2017
Sorry Means You Don't Do It Again - Commercial Road, Port Adelaide, as part of the Wonderwalls Street Art Festival - 2017
Tarnanthi festival wall, Port Adelaide SA, 2017
Xylem - street art piece, 60sqm, Chesser Lane, Adelaide CBD collaboration with James Corcoran aka Jimmy C as part of the Adelaide Fringe Street Art Explosion 2015
Burnt Scrub - street art piece, 5m x 2m wall, Little Rundle Street, Kent Town 2015
Municipal Gum - street art piece, 86sqm, Little Rundle Street, Kent Town SA 2015
Collections (list not exhaustive)
The University of Adelaide
The National Gallery of Australia
Tandanya
City of Marion, Adelaide, SA
Carbon Creative
The Tibbits Collection
The Teubner-Gould Collection
City of Prospect Collection
SBS
South Australian Government Department of State Development
South Australian Government Department of Child Protection
South Australian Native Title Service