Michelle Hamer

Exhibiting since late 2005 Michelle Hamer works as a visual artist predominantly using hand-stitched tapestries on perforated plastic canvas as a way to explore the small in-between moments of apparent ‘nothingness’ that permeate everyday life. Informed by her background in architecture, her work focuses on signage within urban landscapes. She is particularly interested in margins of error; contemporary edicts/societal rules; interstitial and impermanent spaces as represented through freeway signage and billboards.

Michelle uses this traditional technique to explore an ironic romanticism present between tapestry and the digitalisation of imagery in contemporary society.

Following an overwhelmingly positive response at the 2004 ACCA Curatorial Clinic from a panel including Juliana Engberg, in less than 18 months Michelle Hamer received a Australia Council and Arts Victoria grants; had four solo exhibitions; partaken in numerous group shows; received a number of glowing reviews including by Sunday arts ABC TV and Robert Nelson – arts critic for ‘The Age’.

Michelle Hamer has works in Artbank; private collections in Melbourne, Brisbane, New York, Beijing, London; has shown as part of group shows such as ‘Echo –sounding out Contemporary Photography’ a corporate show, curated by CCP (Centre for Contemporary Photography), at Deloitte’s Consulting; has been a finalist in numerous national prize shows and won a Toyota emerging artist award.

Hamer is approaching her 10th solo show, Dangling Carrots; will be participating in the 2011 Tamworth Textile Triennial and will be undertaking skills and development research in the US with the support of an Australia Council grant.