James Pasakos

Pasakos reflects scenes of the Melbourne Docklands. It holds many experiences for the artist from his childhood, cultural identity, and reflects a sense of home. These elements form the foundation for the artist. Most of his works to date are part of an ongoing personal journey to endeavour to understand belonging and identity. Deep connections are made between the two worlds of his Australian upbringing and Greek heritage. He often visits the Melbourne Docklands to collect his thoughts and to view the maritime landscape, to seek his own iconography, narrative, purpose and understanding of sense of place.

The Docklands is an historical area with much significance to the Australian contemporary landscape, which came into prominence during the Victorian Gold rush of the 1850s as a very busy Melbourne shipping hub. Portraying the Melbourne Docklands is to continue the narrative of travel and discovery. During his travels overseas, he has often considered the valuable migrant stories. His works reflect these powerful experiences as they act as reminders of the fragility of our sense of self in the world, and the way in which that sense of identity may develop and spawn new cultural identities that change or shape values of other cultural frameworks.
His methods are in Printmaking, Drawing and in Mixed Media. Works can be seen as surreal and atmospheric. They are often rich in colour and evoke a sense of mystery. They can be quite dark and with this brings a personal insight of the artist.
As a practicing artist, Pasakos has been involved in many collaborative projects, print exchanges and exhibitions that has allowed him to produce other thematic works that have enriched not only his own techniques and methods but his practice and narrative.
Pasakos grew up in Melbourne and now lives in Ballarat, a rural Victorian city. He studied Visual Arts at Monash University, Melbourne. He has a Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree, a Post Graduate Diploma in Printmaking, a Graduate Diploma in Teaching, a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education and a Master of Fine Art majoring in Printmaking & Drawing.

Since 1991 Pasakos has regularly exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions throughout Australia and internationally. His works are represented in public, private and university collections. Pasakos is a Visual Arts Lecturer at Federation University Australia teaching into Printmaking, Drawing and Studio Practice.

Global conferences – Peered Review Papers admitted and accepted – exhibitions:

International Print Conference, IMPACT – International Multi-disciplinary Printmaking, Artists, Concepts and Techniques

Exhibitions

Projects

Prizes

Katherine Chouliaras Lewis

An Australian Artist born in Melbourne and residing in Rosanna, Victoria. Katherine’s love for drawing and painting began at an early age along with her fascination for archaeology, science, flora, fauna and her inspiration is nature and colour. She enjoys experimenting with different art mediums, styles, surfaces and techniques and her years of experience in painting and drawing is seen in her artworks which vary in style from abstract, contemporary and traditional, in subject matter such as fauna and flora, portraits, landscapes, seascapes and free form abstracts, and mediums from acrylics, oils, pastels, watercolour, scratch board, pencil and mixed media.

Katherine was ‘Artist in Residence’ at the ‘Mungga Studio’, ‘Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub’ from April 11-18, 2021. During her successful residency, she painted, exhibited and conducted workshops for children and adults in ‘Pull String Art’ technique. Katherine has been exhibiting her artworks since 1992 at many art shows such as The Victorian Artists’ Society, Heidelberg Artists’ Society, Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, ‘Urban Crafter’ Brunswick St, Fitzroy and ‘Riot Art’ Northland Preston. Also at Argyle on the Park, Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Camberwell Rotary Show, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar, Alphington Grammar, Loyola College, Parade College and Banyule Art ‘Winter Exhibition’ Austin Hospital, Heidelberg.

Her signature artworks are her abstracts/contemporary art. The contemporary artwork ‘Autumn Spirit’ was selected for nomination for the ‘Undine Autumn Landscape Award’ by the Victorian Artists’ Society in 2016. Katherine is a member of various Artists’ Societies: since 1995, the Victorian Artists’ Society and Banyule Pinpoint; since 2015, the Heidelberg Artists’ Society; Contemporary Artists’ Society; Victorian Pastel Artists’ Society; Wildlife Artists’ Society Australia and since 2021, the Diamond Valley Artists’ Society.

Her other passions are photography and travelling and she uses many of her photos for reference and inspiration. She accepts commissions and also works from photographs.

Artist in Residence at Banyule.vic.gov.au
Banyule Open Studios

Mary Raphael

A contemporary artist and tutor, born in North West Greece, Mary arrived in Australia as an older child with her family.

Mary’s love of art began at an early age, continually pursuing various creative avenues such as painting, pottery, project and design to discover where her artistic passion lay. All the knowledge gained throughout her studies contributed to her skill as an artist and she has been consistently involved with painting and art projects ever since.

Nature, the environment and her travels in Australia and overseas have all been strong influences in her work. Having lived and worked in Darwin with extensive travel throughout the Northern Territory, Mary has attended and facilitated various painting workshops whilst also observing indigenous artists create their own unique and beautiful art.

“…the burnt sienna land and cobalt blue sea, are brought to life by colour and texture, appearing out of worldly and spiritual, become my inspiration to create, to dream, to visit. My art expresses the beauty of nature, the energy and spirituality around me, of peace, tranquillity and freedom. My art is of contemporary style with the use of vibrant colours, variety of techniques, textures, materials and mediums, it conveys the essence of my outback experiences. The vast red centre, the salt lakes, the deserts, the blue hues of the surrounding sea and my own exploration of the remote outback, where the elements of colour, texture, energy, and spirituality combine, inspire my need to express on canvas and through my paintings….I relive the mystique, the enormity, and uniqueness of our land…”

Mary has exhibited and sold her art extensively in both solo and group exhibitions and her art graces the walls of many art lovers and collectors both in Australia and Overseas.

Her paintings are currrently showing at Ryazanoff Gallery and Nissarana Gallery in Victoria.

Listed below are some of the galleries Mary has exhibited, both in solo and group exhibitions:

  • Quadrant Gallery Hawthorn Vic
  • Steps Gallery Carlton Vic
  • Collingwood Gallery Collingwood Vic
  • Frankston Art Center Frankston Vic
  • Oakhill Gallery Mornington Vic
  • Yarra Sculpture Gallery Abbotsford Vic
  • Eltham Gallery Eltham Vic
  • Ryazanoff Gallery Albert Park Vic
  • Nissarana Gallery Mornington Vic
  • Broom Art House Broom WA
  • Open Studio Art Shows Darwin NT