Sylvia Hollis
Sylvia Hollis completed a Master of Arts at the Ballarat Arts Academy of Federation University Australia with a solo exhibition, Sylvia Hollis: The Assumed Divide. The works in this show further develop her surrealistic, figurative style and ideas on gender and feminism that originated from her honours thesis, Fluid Sex: Drowning the Gender Binary.
During university undergraduate years, she won Federation University’s 2014 NAVA Award and the Space 22 Community Engagement Award, followed in 2015 by the Cheryl Twomey Memorial Award.
Regular life drawing and modelling informs an art practice that focuses on the nude figure, psychologically enhanced to deter objectification. Works in progress and drawings can be viewed on Facebook and Instagram.
Sylvia Hollis pays respect to the world’s oldest living culture, First Nations, the first storytellers, and is honoured to live and work on Wadawurrung Country.
Artist Statement
Small figurative sculpture is my medium of choice for expressing thoughts and experiences of relationships, gender issues, and psychological states. I question my anxieties and how femaleness influences them. I try to understand dynamics between people and hope that others can use my sculptures to make their own sense of things.
With nudity as a leveller, I create a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, foregrounding the mindscapes of my characters. Figurative art that exists only for objectifiable beauty troubles me because I know how it feels to be a woman in a world where appearance has a disproportionate bearing on self-worth.
Speaking in the language of human bodies, altered with literal and sometimes disturbing visual effects to expose mentality, I attempt to convey a need for empathy towards all people.
CV
Education
2016 – 2017
Federation University, Master of Arts by Research
2015
Federation University, Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours)
2012 – 2014
University of Ballarat/Federation University, Bachelor of Fine Arts
2002 – 2006
Daylesford Secondary College
Exhibitions
2022
The Winter Show, Little Gallery, Trentham
2022
Craft Lab 22, Mining Exchange, Ballarat
2022
Sheilas: Personal Landscapes, Backspace, Art Gallery of Ballarat
2021
Sebastopol Community Centre Life Drawing Display, SCC, Sebastopol VIC
2019
SHAC Art Walk, 513 Armstrong St, Soldiers Hill
2018
Sheilas: When I Grow Up, Backspace Gallery, Ballarat
2018
Midsumma Post Art Prize, No Vacancy gallery/QV, Melbourne
2017
Small Works Art Prize, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy
2017
Sylvia Hollis: The Assumed Divide (Solo show), Post Office Gallery, Ballarat
2017
Sheilas Reclaimed, Fairbanks Eye Gallery, Ballarat
2017
Conversation, Montsalvat, Eltham
2016
Delve16, Post Office Gallery, Ballarat
2016
Peacock in the Room, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy
2015
Arts Academy End of Year Exhibition (EYE), Mining Exchange, Ballarat
2015
FECK:ART Exhibition, Gale St. East Brunswick
2015
Benchmark, Post Office Gallery, Ballarat
2015
‘Did Someone Say…Art?’ Wolveschildren, Ballarat
2015
Bloom: 15 Graduating Artists, Convent Gallery, Daylesford
2014
Arts Academy End of Year Exhibition (EYE), Mining Exchange, Ballarat
2014
Four Over Four, Fairbanks Eye Gallery, Ballarat
2014
Some Shorter Than Others Exhibition, Ballarat Library
2014
Some Shorter Than Others Pre-Launch Show, Vanillah, Ballarat
2014
Benchmark, Post Office Gallery, Ballarat
2014
Contemporary Amazons, Pumpkin and Sparrow, Ballarat
2014
From 100 Studios, Half Church Gallery, Greendale
2013
Lucato Peace Prize, Post Office Gallery, Ballarat
2013
Benchmark, Post Office Gallery, Ballarat
2011
Ballan Artist’s Alcove
2007
Next Gen, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
Collections
Resonance Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Private collections in Victoria
Awards and Achievements
2015
Cheryl Twomey Memorial Award
2015
Archibald Prize internship, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
2014
NAVA Award
2014
Space 22 Community Engagement Award
2014
World Rowing Masters Regatta medal design finalist
Publications and Presentations
2017
Presentation on postgraduate study at the Federation University Arts Academy full assembly
2016
Artist talk at Urquhart Park Primary School
2015
Facilitated workshop on illustration at Bungaree Primary school
2014
Illustrations for Some Shorter than Others, written and published by Neville Hiatt
Volunteer Work
2021 – present
Facilitator of Sebastopol Life Drawing, Sebastopol VIC
2022
Organiser for Sheilas: Personal Landscapes, Backspace, Art Gallery of Ballarat VIC
Oct – Nov 2017
Romancing the Skull volunteer guide, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Ballarat VIC
Oct – Nov 2016
Archibald Prize volunteer guide, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Ballarat VIC
Oct – Nov 2015
Archibald Prize Internship, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Ballarat VIC