The Artist...
Emma Hack
Diverse Multimedia Artist
Skin Illustrator, Photographer, Sculptor
Adelaide-based artist, Emma Hack, has been exhibiting extensively throughout Australia since 1999. Through a combination of painting on canvas, body painting and studio-based photography, Emma's works evoke a rich array of visual narrative and magical realism.
The reaction new viewers have to Emma's work is usually one of intrigue. Drawn in by the exquisite designs and striking representations of animals, it is not long before there is the realization that a human form, a person, and/or an animal, is present in the work. And the questions arise: How does she do it? Surely it's superimposed? How long does it take? Does the model really have to stand there the whole time?
Emma began exploring the notion of camouflage, drawing inspiration from iconic model, Veruschka, who in the 1960s and 70s painted herself into rustic walls and naturalistic settings. When Emma discovered the iconic Florence Broadhurst range of wallpaper designs, it provided the perfect inspiration. Signature Prints, the publishers of the Broadhurst range, gave their blessing for Emma to not only use the designs, but granted her full access to the Florence Broadhurst archives of some 530 designs. So began the Wallpaper Collection of images that span from 2005 to her recently launched collection in 2010. It was during this time that Emma began exhibiting her limited edition photographic images. Her first ever wallpaper camouflage took 19 hours straight to paint with more recent works taking anywhere from 8-15 hours, depending on the complexity of the design. It is an exhausting process for artist and subject alike; however the results are nothing short of spectacular.
In the Wallpaper Mandala Collection, Emma has painstakingly camouflaged the human form into combined wallpaper designs, creating a circular mandala collagued background into which her muse is artfully blended. Emma's Birds of Prey Collection comprises the same technique, but includes the use of live Australian birds: an owl, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Peregrine Falcon.
Emma Hack's inaugural solo exhibition with Catherine Asquith Gallery, "Mirrored Whispers", recalls many aspects of her childhood, in particular, Emma's fond memories of her grandmother's extraordinary garden. Heirloom irises, sweet peas, hydrangeas and gardenias all encircled by what seemed to Emma at the time, a monumental Magnolia tree, meant for joyful, blissful times. This new collection, with its subdued palette and gentle figurative reflections also highlights what Emma terms her 'inner muse', that feminine wisdom that we as women experience, at least once in our lives.
Emma Hack has been exhibiting professionally since 2002, having held in excess of 20 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions throughout Australia.
Emma has shown at ART Sydney (2008, 2009 and 2010), ART Melbourne (2009, 2010, 2011), and internationally, at The London
Art Fair (2011), ART Singapore (2011) and the Affordable Art Fair, New York (2011).
Emma's art practice and exhibitions have been widely documented in both the Australian and international press, and in particular, her participation in local and overseas art fairs has been featured on various television programs. In 2011, Emma's work was highlighted on Australia's ABC TV's "Art Nation" program.
Represented nationally throughout Australia, Emma is also represented in London, New York and Singapore and her work is held in numerous private and corporate collections globally.
Emma's recent collaboration on Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know' has seen her profile skyrocket with the single in UK, Europe and US charts and over 100 million hits on YouTube.
Upcoming Exhibitions
To purchase Emma's art please contact the Gallery closest to you:
2012
- Frances Keevil Gallery - Sydney: 27 April - 13 May Launch: 1 May, 6 - 8 PM
- ART Melbourne, Stand C8: 24 - 27 May
- Henley Festival (UK) - Rebecca Hossack Gallery: 4 - 8 July
- Email Emma to stay in touch with new exhibitions.
Email Emma to stay in touch with new exhibitions.
Past Exhibitions
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 Mirrored Whispers, Catherine Asquith Gallery, Melbourne Vic
2012 'The Journey' 2002-2012 - 10 year retrospective, Adelaide Convention Centre, SA
2012 Mixed works, Seaview Gallery, Queenscliff Gallery, Vic
2011 Utopia, AP Bond, Stepney SA
2011 Mixed Works, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2011 London Art Fair (represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery)
2011 Affordable Art Fair, New York (represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery)
2011 Birds of Prey, AP Bond, Stepney, SA
2011 Wallpaper Mandala and Birds of Prey, Frances Keevil Gallery, Double Bay, NSW
2011 Wallpaper Mandala, Seaview Gallery, Queenscliff, Vic
2011 New and Past Works, ART Melbourne, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton, Vic
2010 New works, Gallery 139, SA
2010 New Works, Obscura Gallery, East St Kilda, Vic
2010 ART Sydney, represented by Frances Keevil Gallery, NSW
2010 Elements Art Gallery, Dalkeith, WA
2010 Past works, Cessnock Regional Gallery, NSW
2010 Art Melbourne 10, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton, Vic
2010 Native and Exotic Mandala, Penley Estate Winery, Coonawarra Arts Festival, SA
2010 New and Past Works, ART Melbourne, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton, Vic
2010 Exotic and Native Mandala, Frances Keevil Gallery, NSW
2010 Native Mandala, Manyung Gallery, Mt Eliza, Vic
2009 New Works & Past Delights, Gallery 139, Adelaide, SA
2009 Art Sydney 09, Royal Hall of Industries, Sydney, NSW
2009 New Works & Past Delights, Frances Keevil Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2009 New Works & Past Delights, Obscura Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
2009 Past Delights – SALA Festival, Burnside Village Shopping Centre, Adelaide, SA
2009 Art Melbourne 09, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton, Vic
2009 Panoramic Bodies, Adelaide Airport, SA
2008 Recent Works, Art Images Gallery, Adelaide, SA
2008 Art Sydney 08, Royal Hall of Industries, Sydney, NSW
2008 Retrospective Works - SALA Festival, Dare Hair, Adelaide, SA
2008 Retrospective Works, Melrose Gallery, Melrose, SA
2007 Body Painting Broadhurst, The Arthouse Hotel, Sydney, NSW
2006 Yoga Collection, The Arthouse Hotel, Sydney, NSW
2004 Adelaide Cabaret Festival, The Arthouse Hotel, Sydney, NSW
2004 Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
2003 Retrospective works, The Arthouse Hotel, Sydney, NSW
2003 Retrospective works, FAD Gallery, Adelaide, SA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 Festivité 2011, Catherine Asquith Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
2011 London Art Fair (represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery)
2011 Affordable Art Fair, Singapore (represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery)
2011 Group Show, Frances Keevil Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2011 Seaview Gallery, Queenscliff, Vic
2011 19 Karen, Gold Coast, QLD
2011 Elements Gallery, Dalkeith, WA
2010 World Body Painting Festival, Austria
2010 Summer Group Show, Manyung Gallery, Mt Eliza, Vic
2010 Group Show, Frances Keevil Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2009 Fashion as Art, Manyung Gallery, Mt Eliza, Vic
2009 Works on Paper, Francis Keevil Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2008 Retrospective Works, Brunswick St Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
2008 Retrospective Works, Art Moments Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2008 Retrospective Works, Marie Hart Galleries, Adelaide, SA
2004 Erotica Exotica, Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide, SA
2002 Petal Collection, Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide, SA
COMMISSIONS
Body art for film clip for the Gotye song Somebody That I Used To Know, featuring Kimbra (2011)
Wilderness College, Canvas in Concert, Adelaide, SA
Walkerville Hotel, Adelaide, SA
Various private commissions
ARTIST BOOK
Wallpaper Collection: 2005-2010, Limited Edition (1000), Monograph, Emma Hack
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Art Nation, ABC1 TV, 6 November 2011
Affordable Art Fair, ABC TV, New York, September 2011
'A fine body of work', The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, NSW, 29 August 2009
'An artist's body of work that quite literally brings the walls to life', China Daily, China, 5 July 2008
'Breathing wallpaper', NY Daily News.com, New York, 5 July 2008
'My girl's a wallflower', The Sun, London, United Kingdom, 6 May 2008
'An artist's body of work that quite literally brings the walls to life', Telegraph.co.uk, London, 6 May 2006
View: Emma Hack @ http://www.youtube.com/user/EmmahackTV
COLLECTIONS
The M Collection, Melbourne, Vic
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, ACT
Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
Private collections throughout Australia, the UK, USA and Singapore.
< back to top
Press
Emma Hack has received much international and interstate press this year with stories featured in papers such as New York Daily, UK Telegraph, The Mirror, The UK Sun, China Daily, Spanish People Daily, CCTV , The Advertiser, Tasmanian Mercury, and Sydney Morning Herald. Read some of these on the articles page of this website.
Emma is also featured in many design magazines worldwide including ‘Platform’ magazine, India and upcoming ‘Le Tabure’ Magazine, Russia and ‘Home Concepts’ magazine, Singapore.
Emma was most recently featured in Trendhunter.com, ‘Artist Emma Hack, who lives in Australia, creates really gorgeous designs utilizing female models that she successfully blends in with their surroundings. The effect is beautifully crisp, vibrant, living three dimensional wallpaper.’
