ARTISTS | Charmaine Pike
Charmaine Pike‘s painting practice reflects the rich tones of the natural land forms that populate areas of inland New South Wales. Her works, however, are far from representational landscapes, rather, they distort form, colour and line, and look inwards to explore psychological tension. Landscape forms are personified and relate to each other within the picture plane, playing out are aspects of the human condition such as alienation and isolation, loneliness, conflict, despair, struggle. Despite this, Pike’s lyrical and chromatically rich landscapes are at times comical and absurd in an attempt to create a unique visual language.
Pike has been selected as a finalist in numerous prestigious art prizes such as The Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing (2010), The Mosman Art Prize (2013), The Paddington Art Prize (2015, 2016). In 2014 she was selected by Angus Nivison for the Regional Arts Australia National Visual Arts Showcase at Parliament House, Canberra. Charmaine studied at the College of Fine Arts in NSW and has had seven solo exhibitions, including at Tamworth Regional Gallery in 2012.

Exhibitions:
The Divine Paradox | Charmaine Pike
Pandemonium | Charmaine Pike
Landforms & Lagoons | Sue Lovegrove + Charmaine Pike
CV:
CHARMAINE PIKE
Works and lives in inland NSW
Education
1995-1997 Bachelor of Fine Arts, College of Fine Arts, UNSW
1994 Diploma of Fine Arts, Tamworth TAFE
1993 Associate Diploma of Fine Arts, Tamworth TAFE
Solo Exhibitions
2019
The Divine Paradox, Gallerysmith Melbourne
2017
The Fringe Dwellers, Defiance Gallery, Newtown
Every Now and Then, Weswal Gallery, Tamworth
2016
Pandemonium, Gallerysmith, Melbourne
2014
Mindfield, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2012
Tamworth Regional Art Gallery
2007
Fear is like a wilderness (drawing), Gallery HM, Sydney
Group Exhibitions
2018
The Platform 10, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
2017
Makers Mark, Defiance Gallery, Newtown
2016
Spring Fever, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2015
Landforms and Lagoons, Gallerysmith, Melbourne (duo/solo with Sue Lovegrove)
2014
Regional Arts Australia, Mentor/Mentee Selected by Angus Nivison Parliament House, Canberra
Abstract Landscape, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
Landscape Show, Queen Street Gallery, Sydney
2013
The Landscape Show, Defiance Sculpture Park at The Gate Gallery
Feminine Optic curated by Andrew Frost, Tamworth Regional Gallery
The Kunderang Group Show, Walcha Contemporary Art Gallery
Abstracting Landscape, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
Robert Bell, Daniel Kyle & Charmaine Pike, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2012
Inaugural Indoor Show, Defiance Sculpture Park, The Gate Gallery
Larapinta Trail Artists, Shoalhaven Regional Gallery
The Drawing Show, Walcha Contemporary Art Gallery
Larapinta Trail Artists, Moree Plains Regional Gallery
The Great Australian Landscape, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2011
The Drawing Show, Defiance Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
Larapinta, Defiance Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
The Landscape Show, Defiance Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
2010
The Drawing Show, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
Same place, many views, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
The Landscape Show, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
Paint, Charcoal, Bronze & Steel, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
The Jingle Bells Show, Defiance Gallery, Newtown, Sydney
2009
The Salon Hang, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
The Drawing Show, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
Same Place, Many Views, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
The Jingle Bells Show, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2007
A Maniac and her Key, TAP Gallery, Sydney
1997
Which machine must be plugged into this machine to work, The Performance Space, Sydney
Subconscious Gestures, Arthaus Gallery, Sydney
1993
Straight Back and Sides, Tamworth Regional Gallery
Easily Transportable Prints Exchange, Northern Rivers University
Tamworth TAFE Student Show, Woolloomooloo Gallery, Sydney
Award and Prize exhibitions
2017
Paddington Art Prize, Sydney
2015
Paddington Art Prize, Sydney
2014
Macquarie Group Emerging Art Prize, Sydney
2013
Finalist, The Mosman Art Prize
2012
The Enid Ng Artist Residency, Paris
2010
Finalist, Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing
2007
Finalist, Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize
1998
Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award, WINNER
1996
Commended, Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award
1996
Winner, College of Fine Arts, UNSW, inaugural Drawing Award
1995
Finalist, Jenny Birt Award, UNSW COFA.
Collections
Defiance Gallery
Tamworth Regional Gallery
Tamworth TAFE Campus Folio
Northern Rivers University Collection
Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award Collection
Residencies
2017
October, Nock Art Residency, Hong Kong/China
2017
August, The Barn House Residency, Maffra
2013
March, The Enid Ng Residency, Paris
2012
April, Kelton Plains Artist Residency, Monaro, Cooma
2014
Kelton Plains, Artist Residency
AWC sponsored trip, Pungalina, Gulf Country, N.T
Bibliography
2017 Artist Profile, Issue 40, ‘Charmaine Pike’ by Melissa Pesa, pp 50 – 53
2015 The Australian, ‘Charmaine Pike; a star attraction at Tamworth Regional Gallery’, Bronwyn Watson, April 4
2014 Down Town, ‘Charmaine Pike’, Emily Herbert, 2014, pp 28 – 44