VALERIE SPARKS

lives tasmania

Valerie Sparks is a photomedia artist whose practice is driven by her interest in the history and aesthetics of immersive environments. Her visual dialogue with frescos, glass houses, stereoscopic photographs and French scenic wallpapers from the 1800s inspire the creation of floor-ceiling dioramas where the boundary between reality, history and fantasy is often blurred. The exploration of historical collections and archives is a core element in Valerie’s practice, including those at the Vienna and La Rochelle Natural History Museums, the Musueè du Papier Peint in Rixheim, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Whitworth Gallery of Art, the Royal Institute of British Architects. 

Her work has expanded from photography to encompass laser scanning, CT scanning and medical imaging software, using these technologies to investigate different ways of seeing, recording and understanding the world. She brings together diverse systems of knowledge and representation to explore the intersections between photography, radiography, science, geography and visual technologies.

Sparks has been the recipient of a number of awards including the Australia Council London Residency, the French Embassy Cite Des Arts Studio in Paris, the City of Port Phillip Rupert Bunny Award, Australia Council New Work funding, and Arts Victoria International Program funding. She was awarded the OMNIA art award in 2021, the St Kevin’s Art Show prize for work on paper in 2018, the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize in 2016, and in 2025 received an honourable mention in the Hadley's Art Prize. She has been a finalist in the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award, the Fremantle Print Award, Tidal, and the Hutchins Art Prize. Her work is in collections including the National Gallery of Australia, The National Gallery of Victoria and Art Bank. Valerie has a Masters of Fine Art from Monash University, a Bachelor of Arts (with a double major in Anthropology and Pacific Studies, Honours in Anthropology), and a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Drawing.

The artist has exhibited widely in public and private Galleries and Museums in Australia and overseas and is represented in public museum collections including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, and Artbank. She has undertaken many international residencies and awards including the Australia Council London Residency, the French Embassy, Cite International des Arts Studio in Paris, the City of Port Phillip Rupert Bunny Award, Australia Council New Work funding and Arts Victoria International Program funding.

AVAILABLE WORKS

CV

VALERIE SPARKS
Lives and works in Tasmania

QUALIFICATIONS
2015 – Masters Fine Art, Monash University
2003 – Bachelor of Fine Art, Drawing: Victorian College of the Arts
2001 – Diploma of Visual Arts: RMIT
1996 – Honours: Anthropology/Sociology: Latrobe University
1994 – Bachelor of Arts, Double Major, Pacific Studies and Anthropology, Latrobe University

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 – 'Sanctuary', Gallerysmith, Melbourne
2023 – 'Dark Garden', Bett Gallery, Hobart
2019 – 'this is not a wallflower', Bett Gallery, Hobart
2018 – 'Allusion and Illusion: the fantastical world of Valerie Sparks', Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2015 – 'Le Vol', Masters Presentation, Monash Art School, Melbourne
2014 – 'Le Vol', Turner Galleries, Perth
2012 – 'Unnatural Migrations #1', Lowrise Projects, Melbourne
2011 – 'Understory', Sutton Gallery Project Space, Melbourne
2011 – 'Little Bird, Big History', Gallerysmith, Melbourne
2010 – 'this weather', Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2008 – 'Luminist', Alliance Franciase, Melbourne
2008 – 'El Dorado Springs', Turner Galleries, Perth
2007 – 'El Dorado Springs', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2006 – 'Linden Project Room', Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne
2005 – 'The Organisation of the View', 3015 Paris, France
2004 – 'With a View to Paradise', Linden Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026 – 'Sydney Contemporary', Gallerysmith, Carriageworks, Sydney
2025 – 'Turner & Australia', Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale
2025 – 'On Island', Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
2025 – 'Exploration 2025', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2023 – 'Flourish', Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Melbourne
2023 – 'XV: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE', Gallerysmith, Melbourne
2022 – 'Water(shed)', Bett Gallery, Hobart
2021 – 'Photo 2021 – Bowness Photography Prize Celebrates 15 years', Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2020 – 'Refracted Reality', Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth
2019 – 'Sublime Sea- Rapture and Reality', Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Victoria
2018 – 'The Art of Collecting', Centre for Contemporary Photography Fundraiser, Melbourne
2017 – 'Speaking of History', Bett Gallery, Hobart
2016 – 'Tempest', Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
2016 – 'CCP 30 Years Fundraising Exhibition', Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2016 – 'Birds – Flight Paths in Australian Art', Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Victoria
2015 – 'Arcadia', Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Victoria
2014 – 'Outland', Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne
2014 – 'Semblance', this is no fantasy, Melbourne
2014 – 'Outland', this is no fantasy – Volta10, Basel, Switzerland
2013 – '10 Years – 30 Residencies', Turner Galleries, Perth
2012 – 'Monash University Maribor 2012 European Cultural Capital Project', Venice Biennale, Venice
2011 – 'Private Paradise', Whitworth Gallery of Art, Manchester, United Kingdom
2010 – 'Austral-Asia – Contemporary photomedia of the last ten years', National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
2010 – 'Visions', Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Victoria
2010 – 'Time Travel', Tweed River Art Gallery, New South Wales
2009 – '20Plus', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2009 – 'The View from here IV', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2008 – 'Treasures', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2008 – 'Here and Now', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2008 – 'The Perfumed Garden', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2007 – 'Valerie Sparks and Polixeni Papapetrou', Roger Williams Gallery Auckland, New Zealand
2007 – 'The View from Here II', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2006 – 'Proof', National Gallery of Victoria Ian Potter, Melbourne
2006 – 'Treasures', Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2006 – 'Inhabitation', Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2006 – 'Linden Post Card Show', Linden Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne

PRIZE AND AWARD EXHIBITIONS
2026 – Finalist, 'Bowness Photography Prize', Museum of Australian Photography, Melbourne
2026 – Finalist, 'The Alice Prize', Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
2025 – Honourable Mention, 'Hadley's Art Prize', Hobart
2021 – WINNER, 'Omnia Art Prize', St Kevins College Toorak, Melbourne
2021 – Finalist, 'Bowness Photography Prize', Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2021 – Finalist, 'Fremantle Print Award', Fremantle Art Centre, Perth
2020 – Finalist, 'Bowness Photography Prize', Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2019 – Finalist, 'Banyule Works on Paper Prize', Hatch Contemporary Artspace, Melbourne
2019 – Finalist, 'Hadley's Art Prize', Hadley's Orient, Hobart
2019 – Finalist, 'St Kevin's Art Prize', St Kevin's College Toorak, Melbourne
2019 – Finalist, 'Ravenswood Australian Women's Art Prize', Ravenswood School, New South Wales
2019 – Finalist, 'Burnie Print Prize', Burnie Arts and Function Centre, Tasmania
2018 – Finalist, 'St Kevin's Art Prize', St Kevin's College Toorak, Melbourne
2018 – Finalist, 'Tidal Acquisitive Art Award', Devonport Regional Gallery, Tasmania
2017 – 2nd prize, 'Fremantle Print Award', Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle
2017 – Highly Commended, 'Burnie Print Prize', Burnie Arts and Function Centre, Tasmania
2017 – Finalist, 'Ravenswood Australian Women's Art Prize', Ravenswood School, New South Wales
2016 – WINNER, 'Bowness Photography Prize', Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2015 – Honorary Mention, 'Bowness Photography Prize', Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2015 – Finalist, 'Fremantle Print Award', Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle
2015 – Finalist, 'Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award', Gold Coast Art Gallery, Queensland
2014 – Finalist, 'Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award', Gold Coast Art Gallery, Queensland
2012 – Australian Postgraduate Award, Monash University, Melbourne
2012 – Finalist, 'Bowness Photography Prize', Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2012 – Finalist, 'Little Creatures Fremantle Print Award', Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle
2011 – Finalist, 'Hutchins Art Prize', Hobart
2010 – Finalist, 'Bowness Photography Prize', Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2010 – Finalist, 'Little Creatures Fremantle Print Award', Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle
2010 – Finalist, 'Tidal Acquisitive Art Award', Devonport Regional Gallery, Tasmania
2009 – People's Choice, 'Little Creatures Female Print Award', Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle
2009 – Finalist, 'Hutchins Art Prize', Long Gallery, Hobart
2009 – Finalist, 'Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award', Gold Coast Art Gallery, Queensland
2007 – Finalist, 'Little Creatures Fremantle Print Award', Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle
2007 – Finalist, 'Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award', Gold Coast Art Gallery, Queensland
2006 – The Tammy Kingsley People's Choice Award, 'The Alice Prize', Araluen Art Centre, NT
2006 – Finalist, 'Tidal Acquisitive Art Award', Devonport Regional Gallery, Tasmania

COLLECTIONS
National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Victoria
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Whitworth Gallery of Art Manchester, UK
Museum of Australian Photography
Artbank
Hamilton Regional Gallery
Gippsland Art Gallery
City of Perth
Art Support, Creative Partnerships
Malthouse Theatre
Alliance Francaise Melbourne
Little Creatures Collection
City of Perth
Private Collections Australia, London, Paris, Hong Kong