Anne Leon
Anne Leon "In Your Dreams", Screen print on hand-made paper
BioSBorn in South Africa in 1955, Anne studied Fine Arts at the Natal University, and immigrated with her family to Australia. In 1973 she continued her studies at Seven Hills College of Art in Brisbane, and graduated with a Diploma of Fine Art in 1975. The diversity of Anne's work, from watercolours to fabric design, reflects a rich artistic career, spanning over 30 years. Anne utilises a wide variety of techniques in her work, including screen- and block-printing, painting, dyeing, batik. She has exhibited extensively in solo and group shows, within Australia, and has work in International private collections.The quality and versatility of her work have earned her numerous large commissions, from Interior designers, Architects, Couturiers, to Corporations, domestic and international. Since moving from Brisbane to Northern NSW in 2002, Anne has established a fabric design studio where she continues to design and produce custom hand-printed textiles, and maintain her own Fine Art practice. Being a well-respected and accomplished textile artist, Anne conducts workshops and classes through NSW TAFE and ACE, private and government schools, thus sharing her expertise with students of all ages.ydney based artist Lang Leav uses pastels and pixels to weave the enchanting world of Akina. Since it's inception in 2005, the illustration based fashion label has established a cult following worldwide. In 2005, Akina was selected as winner of the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards judged by industry heavyweights such as Peter Morrissey. Later, the label went on to inspire a documentary that aired internationally on ABC television in 2006. As well as critical acclaim, Akina has achieved commercial success, being sold through key boutiques in Australia and Japan. Her first solo exhibition 'The Teddy Bear's Picnic' is a series of eight art works offering a sinister twist to our much loved fairytale characters. Within this world, Gretal discovers something more delicious than candy, Little Red Riding Hood undergoes a ghastly transformation and Rapunzel uses her long, golden locks to commit atrocious acts. It is a world where button fetishes are contagious, childhood nursery rhymes are interwoven with macabre themes and happily ever after is anything but. Awarded a prestigious Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2007, Lang recently spent eight weeks in Tokyo researching the underground fashion subcultures. During her time there, she met with Junko Wong, a major figure in the Japanese creative industry who has invited Lang to feature her work across her boutiques and gallery space. Lang's creations are highly sought after, with her limited edition designs selling out immediately upon release. She creates images that are hauntingly beautiful, translating them into exquisite hand finished treasures. Her work has since featured in several high profile art exhibitions including the Kids of Today held at the MTV Gallery in Sydney. GalleryArtist statementMy love of doing things to fabric by hand has been something I have been passionate about since I was very young. I enjoy exploring the relationship between fine art and textiles, and ways to create surface design and colours on various textures to extend the boundaries of textile and fine art. My fascination is also in using the many techniques I have learnt over the years in unusual combinations, and flaunting the rules, to capture the strength of imagery in a unique way.My recent interest in natural dyes has led me to harnessing the beauty of Australian Eucalypts in particular, and the myriad colours that can be achieved through the process of cooking these plants, and the images that are created by sandwiching the parts of plants between the fabric. Education2008 | Drawing and Textile Master Class - Ruth Hadlow2006 | Cert IV - Train Small Groups - ACE - Byron Bay - NSW 1995 | Surface Textile Design - Mt. Gravatt Tafe - Brisbane - QLD 1990 | Fabric Design Workshops - Carseldine - Campus Tafe - Brisbane - QLD 1989 | Batik Painting - Jeff Service - Tamborine - QLD 1986 | Etching - Griffith University - Brisbane - QLD 1984 | Silk Painting - Griffith University - Brisbane - QLD 1979 | Study Batik in Jogjakarta - Indonesia 1974 | Immigrated to Australia - Fine Arts Degree - Seven Hills College of Art - QLD 1973 | 1st Year Fine Arts Degree - University of Natal - Pietermarizburg - Sth Africa 1972 | Graduated High School - Pietermarizburg - Sth Africa AwardsExhibitionsRecent Exhibitions2008 | '12x12' - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay - NSW 2008 | 'Marine Visions II' - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay - NSW 2008 | 'Hard Pressed' - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay - NSW 2008 | 'FEHVA Art Auction and Exhibition' - Byron Bay - NSW 2007 | 'Marine Visions I' - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay - NSW 2007 | 'Sustainable - Studio 44 - Fingal Head - NSW 2006 | 'Fabrications' - 2 Woman Show - Waywood Gallery - Byron Bay - NSW 2006 | 'FEHVA Art Auction and Exhibition' - Byron Bay - NSW 2006 | 'Group Show' - Corporate Art - Gold Coast - QLD 2008 | 'Group Show' - Waywood Gallery - Byron Bay - NSW 2005 | 'Planet' - Group Textile Show - Sydney - NSW 2005 | 'Group Show' - Waywood Gallery - Byron Bay - NSW 2004 | Smalls and Talls' - Waywood Gallery - Byron Bay - NSW 2003 | 'Group Show' - Byron Fine Arts Gallery - Byron Bay - NSW 2002 | 'Wrapture' - Solo Show - Byron Bay - NSW 2001 | 'Combined Show - Suzanna Clark - Brisbane Library - QLD 2000 | 'Xmas Show' - 21 Johnstone St - Brisbane CollectionsAnne has been commissioned by several leading architects, fashion and interior designers within Australia and internationally, producing textile and art-pieces for a variety of applications including: hotels, casinos, resorts, hospitals and castles. She also has numerous small and large scale commissions for private clients.BibliographyDownload CV and bioClick here to download |