artist statement / bio
I take my cue from an Eastern perspective: A Levantine mindset. That is, the flattened world, a tiered landscape, repetition, stories of distorted journeys. Over the years, I have gradually discarded the representation gesture.
The work or process is a path that evolved rather than a conscious, academic process. I see the world or landscape as structured architectural codes; the repetition of lines; 3D structures of an urban landscape and what I perceive as unnecessary, I discard. I seek in my work a quiet corner. The work provides a pause or a resting place before moving on. I try and achieve this through colour palette, a balance of aesthetics via shapes, line, repetition, and materiality.
I am a first generation Australian of Cypriot heritage, and I was acutely aware of my parent’s plight from a very early age including, the difficulties that many others who came from elsewhere faced to settle in this country.
To arrive
Far from what is familiar
Bringing what is familiar
The Past
The future
The unknown
The hybrid
Born in Sydney, Australia. Qualifications include an MA in Communication Design from Central Saint Martins in London, UK, and a BA Visual Arts Degree from the College of Fine Arts (UNSW), Sydney, Australia and The Art Cetificate, East Sydney Technical College (now The National Art School), Sydney, Australia.
Polly (Pollyxenia Joannou) has been the recipient of The Redland Art Prize, The NSW Travelling Art Scholarship, and The Dyason Bequest from The Art Gallery of NSW. Residencies awarded include The Arthur Boyd Residency, Italy (The Australia Council), The Moya Dyring Residency, Paris (The Art Gallery of NSW), The Onslow Storrier Residency, Paris (The National Art School) for 2006 and 2017, DRAWinternational, Caylus, France, WASPS Studios, Glasgow, UK, The Gunnery Studio, Sydney (NSW Ministry for the Arts). Polly is also represented in collections such as The Art Gallery of NSW, Artbank Australia, University of Sydney, Redland Art Gallery, and private collections throughout Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Europe, and the UK.
2023-2024
Solo Exhibition, CBD Gallery, Sydney, Australis, 2024
Ritual and Method, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney, Australia (with Lynne Eastaway and Nicole Ellis) 2024
Round, Curated by Lisa Jones and Tom Loveday, Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, 2023
2021
Square 2, Five Walls, Melbourne, Australia
Guest speaker on Contemporary Drawing, 16albermarle Project Space, Sydney, Australia
Paddington Art Prize, Defiance Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2020
• Solo Exhibition, Gallery 9, Sydney, Australia
2019
Square, Brenda May Project Space, Sydney, Australia
Red Herring 4, ‘Til Death Do Us Part, STACKS, Sydney, Australia (a collaboration with Anthony Cahill)
The Portia Geach Award (Highly Commended), S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, Australia
• Dobell Drawing Prize (finalist), National Art School Gallery, Sydne, Australia
2018
Semi-Finalist, Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Sydney, Australia
Sentient Visibility, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Figuratively Speaking, (a collaboration with Anthony Cahill - part of The Red Herring Project #3), AirSpace, Sydney, Australia
2017
The Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney Australia
Onslow Storrier Residency, Cite International des Arts, Paris, France
Collaboration: Red Herring #2, A Matter of Difference, Cahill/Joannou, AirSpace, Sydney, Australia
Line & Space curated by Suzie Idiens, Crawford Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition: In And Beyond The Walls of the Roman Forum, University Gallery, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition curated by Nick Vickers: Class Act, See Street Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition: Greyscale: Drawing Projects UK, Bridge House, 10 Stallard Street, Trowbridge BA14 9AE UK (opens 6th April 2017)
Group exhibition Found and Made, Stacks Projects, 191 Victoria Street, Potts Point, Sydney, Australia
2016
Group exhibition Drawing Conversations, Rayner Hoff Gallery, The National Art School, Sydney, Australia
Collaboration Red Herring (A Matter of Difference), Cahill/Joannou, AirSpace, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition Greyscale, Artspace Mackay, Mackay, Queensland
Group exhibition Greyscale, Glass House Port Macquarie Gallery, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
2015
Finalist Paddington Art Prize, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition Greyscale, Rayner Hoff Gallery, The National Art School, Sydney, Australia Finalist Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria
Group exhibition Feral, Articulate Project Space, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition Openings, AirSpace, Sydney, Australia
2014
Solo exhibition Devolving Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Solo exhibition SNO 103 SNO Contemporary Art Project Space, Sydney, Australia
Finalist Grace Cossington Smith Prize Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney, Australia: Group exhibition Drawing As Thought Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney, Australia Group exhibition Melbourne Art Fair Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
Group exhibition Cologne Art Fair Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Cologne, Germany
Group exhibition Hong Kong Art Fair Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Hong Kong
2013
Group exhibition New Australian Painting Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia Finalist Connexion Points Willoughby Sculpture Prize, Sydney, Australia
2012
Solo exhibition Recent Work Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia Group exhibition Microworlds Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2011
Group exhibition Boxes Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition Kitchen Project The Trans-Siberian Arts Centre, curated by Britt Salt & Jon Hewitt, UK & China
2010
Solo exhibition Pollyxenia Joannou Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia Group exhibition Death Be Kind Upstairs @ The Alderman, Melbourne, Australia Group exhibition Ascent Into Infinity Delmar Gallery, Sydney
Group exhibition Atelier The National Art School Paris Studio, Charles Hewitt Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition CRUX McGlade Gallery, Australian Catholic University, Sydney & Melbourne, Australia
2009
Group exhibition SNO 55 Sydney Non Objective Gallery Space, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition When Ideas Become Form Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia Group exhibition Ceramicism Delmar Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2008
Solo exhibition To Black…Sex & Death Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2007
Solo exhibition Paris Residency Work Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Cologne, Germany
Group exhibition Factory 49, Sydney, Australia
2006
Solo exhibition Nest Tin Sheds Gallery, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
2005
Group exhibition Minimal Approach – Concrete Tendencies curated by Conny Dietzschold, Tin Sheds Gallery, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
2004
Solo exhibition Pollyxenia Joannou Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition Australian Concrete Constructive Art Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition UR in EU curated by Nick Vickers, Sir Hermann Black Gallery, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
2002 – 2003
Group exhibition Concrete II Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Group exhibition Boxes Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
bibliography
Redland Art Awards 2016, by Phil Brown, Arts Editor, The Courier Mail, November 2016
Redland Gallery Art Award, The Brisbane Courier, October 2016
Pollyxenia Joannou Recent Works, Open Gallery, Sydney Morning Herald, Sept 29-30 2012
Boxes, Open Gallery, Sydney Morning Herald, Dec 10-11 2011
Double take: Conny Dietzschold International by Maurice O’Riordan, Art Monthly Australia, Dec 2009 – Feb 2010 issue
Australian Artists in Italy Judith Blackall, Monash University Press, August 2008
Least They Could Do by John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald, May 21-22 2005
Australian Concrete Constructive Art by Dominique Angeloro, Sydney Morning Herald, 26 Nov 2004
UR in EU by Dominique Angeloro, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 April 2004
The Portia Geach National Portrait Gallery website, October 2003
Curating by Intuition by Terry Ingram, Art Collector, Issue 21, Oct-Dec 2002
Second Language by Beth Jackson, Art & Text, No. 41, Jan 1992
Arts Review Stilletto Magazine, No. 38, March 1987
Arts Review (London) by Ian Cowie, Art Line (London), Vol. II No. 2, May 198
credits
web design Craig Keeler-Milne
photography John McRae