about
Born in 1970, Narrogin Western Australia.
Lori spent her early childhood on her family's farm at Yilliminning in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, and her early adult life jillarooing on the cattle station of her husband’s family, Wyloo, in the Pilbara, Western Australia. She now farms with her husband on their sustainable regenerative agricultural farming property in the south west of Western Australia, Boyup Brook, where her studio is located.
Lori is a nationally recognised artist, having held 30 solo exhibitions, hung in 50 group shows and shortlisted for over 105 awards. Notably she has won the Kilgour Art Prize, Newcastle 2021; winner - Perth Royal Landscape 2022: finalist - Dobell Drawing Prize 2023: finalist - Salon De Refuse 2024, 2022: finalist - Portia Geach Memorial Award 2023,2022,2019: The Alice Prize 2022; Len Fox Award 2024, 2022, 2000: winner - Toni Fini Black Swan Portraiture 2018; semi finalist - Doug Moran 2017,2018,2021: finalist - Deakin University Sculpture Award - 2024, 2023.
“My art practice is an exploration of myself, my identity and placement within my family’s multifaceted history. It is illustrated directly from lived experiences on country and my responses to, and relationship with our landscape. Matrilineal memories within my shared European and indigenous histories in the Australian landscape, engages commentary around the simultaneously constructive and destructive relationship between wo(man) and land."
The botanical elements in Lori's work are used as a reflection of personal transformations. They link key positive personality traits of people with ecological characteristics of botanicals to create a distinctive 'language of flowers' as a way of expressing inner strengths/virtues. Significantly they dually seek to create a narrative around our cultural identity and role within our natural world.
In recent workings Lori has extended Nature-Culture concepts to include installations of found flora, fauna and composite earthen raw materials. Repurposing natural forms found in her farm bushland aids in creating contemporary depth to the painted themes. Regenerating storylines using natural resources aims to examine the concept of placement. Firstly, self placement within family culture, 'who am I? who has shaped me?' and the environmental imprinting influencing ones bearing and identity.
