Renata Buziak

Renata Buziak, born in Poland, moved to Australia in 1991. In 2006 Renata has completed her Bachelor of Photography with First Class Honours at Queensland College of Art (QCA), Griffith University, Brisbane.

Renata is a photographic artist, who has presented her work at a number of galleries including the Queensland Centre for Photography (QCP), the Perth Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), and Blender Gallery in Sydney. In 2005 Renata was a recipient of The Thiess Art Prize and the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital Art Award, and in 2006 she was the Artist-in-Residence at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha. In 2007 Renata’s work was selected for the QCP’s 1st Photo LA Art Fair project, also she held solo exhibitions, and her work was accepted to a number of art competitions and group shows. Renata’s work is held in public and private collections.

Artist Statement

Nature’s vegetation offers an endless supply of organic matter for use in my artworks. I create unique images by forming alliances between a variety of plants and photographic emulsions. I call these images 'Biochromes' because the natural occurrence of de-composition on the photographic materials results in an array of colourful pigmentation arranged in complex and detailed compositions, aided by natures own creative skill.

The chemical and biological reactions that take place during the process of decay are fundamental to my image making process. The coupling of these disciplines fuses the arts with the sciences; traces the activities of the microbes; reveals the complex process of decay while addressing its metamorphic power. My work also combines my interests in macro and aerial imaging of the environment.

While my practice builds on the traditions of botanical illustrations and experimental photographic techniques (achieved by photography pioneers such a W. H. Fox Talbot), my 'fertilisation' of photographic materials, using vegetation, directly focuses on the significance of time and change through decomposition, and presents a new and unique perspective into the use of the photographic medium.




Wywiad po polsku w Radio SBS Dorota Banasiak rozmawia z Renatą Buziak (Interview in Polish on SBS Radio )

EDUCATION

2006
    Bachelor of Photography with First Class Honours, Queensland College of Art (QCA) Griffith University, Brisbane QLD
2005
    Bachelor of Photography, Queensland College of Art (QCA) Griffith University, Brisbane QLD


ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2009
    Moreton Bay Art Awards 2009, Finalist, Pine Rivers Art Gallery QLD
    Prometheus Visual Arts Award 2009, Finalist, Merrimac QLD
    Wilson HTM National Art Prize, Finalist, Jan Murphy Gallery, QLD
2008
    St Sebastian's Spring Art Exhibition & Art Prize, Winner, Yeronga, QLD
2007
    Josephine Ulrick & Win Schubert Photography Award, Finalist, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, QLD
    The Churchie National Emerging Art Exhibition, Finalist, East Brisbane QLD
    Prometheus Visual Arts Award 2007, Finalist, Merrimac QLD
2006
    Ergon Energy CQ Art Award 2006, Rockhampton Art Gallery, QLD
    International Print Triennial, Contemporary Art Gallery Bunkier Sztuki, Krakow Poland
2005
    The Thiess Art Prize 2005 - First Prize, Acquisitive, DELL Gallery@QCA, South Bank QLD
    Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital Art Award 2005 - First Prize, Acquisitive, Brisbane QLD
        Prometheus Visual Arts Award 2007, Finalist, Merrimac QLD
2004
    Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society Award (ADFAS)- First Prize, QCA, South Bank QLD
    Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital Art Award 2004 - First Prize, Acquisitive, Brisbane QLD
    Warwick Art Prize - Highly Commended, Warwick QLD
    National Tertiary Art Prize, Finalist, Academy Gallery, University of Tasmania, Launceston
    Griffith University National Tertiary Art Prize - First Prize, Project Gallery, QCA, South Bank QLD
2002 - 2004
    Griffith Awards for Academic Excellence for studies in the Bachelor of Photography


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2009
    Afterimage, Queensland Centre for Photography (QCP), South Bank QLD
    Biochromes, Polonia Milton QLD
2008
    Biochromes : A Collaboration with Nature, A Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Art Spaces Exhibition, South Bank QLD
2007
    New Works by Renata Buziak, College Gallery, South Bank QLD
2006
    Botanica 2006 – Australian Native Plants, Artist-in-Residence - Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha
2005
    Biochrome No 4, The Project Wall, Australian Centre of Photography (ACP), Sydney NSW
2004
    Biochromes My Garden, Queensland Centre for Photography (QCP), Bulimba QLD
    Gardens - Photographic Exhibition, Fat Boys Café, Fortitude Valley QLD


TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS

2007
    Walter Stahl + Renata Buziak, Joel Fine Art, Paddington QLD


GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS

2009
    BOTANIQUE, The Japanese Garden & Richard Randall Studio, Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens, QLD
    ART|PLAY|SCIENCE, White Canvas Space, Fortitude Valley, QLD
    Celebrating 40 Years, Brisbane Grammar Art Show, QLD
    New Skin, Queensland Centre for Photography, South Brisbane, QLD
    Sharing... Wespół..., Traveling exhibition throughout Poland: Academy of Fine Arts (ASP) Warsaw; UMCS Lublin; UMCS Kazimierz Dolny, Gallery Schron Sztuki Rzeszów, Poland
    Photo LA, International Photographic Art Exposition, Los Angeles
    Rehash, Brisbane Square Library, Brisbane City, QLD
2008
    Summer Moments, Art Moment Gallery, Bondi Beach, NSW
    19 KAREN Artists + Guests, Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast QLD
    Tales from the Cold Ghost II, tinygold, Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast QLD
    Pure Passion, The 2008 Brisbane Grammar School Art Show, Brisbane QLD
Downlands College Art Show, Toowoomba QLD
    Capture, The Town Hall Gallery, Hawthorn VIC
    Art Brisbane, Art Fair
    Art Melbourne, Art Fair
2007
    Photo LA, International Photographic Art Exposition, Los Angeles
    Look Small Think Big, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, QLD
    Gadens: Top Ten, Gadens Lawyers Annual Art Exhibition, Brisbane City QLD
    The Micro-Macro Show, College Gallery, South Bank QLD
2006
    Hot Pool, Queensland College of Art Griffith University, Honours Graduating Exhibition, Brisbane QLD
    Four Points of View, Queensland Centre for Photography, Bulimba QLD
2005
    Perception: the Daryl Hewson Photographic Collection, Queensland Centre for Photography (QCP), Bulimba QLD
    Diversity, Gold Street Studios, Collingwood VIC
    HATCHED 05, National Graduate Show, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA), Perth WA
    Photographic Skin, Soapbox Gallery, Fortitude Valley QLD
    Tango, Grammar School Art Exhibition, Brisbane QLD
    The Current Crop: Revealing the Region, Brisbane Square QLD
2004
    56, Queensland College of Art (QCA) Griffith University Graduating Photography Students Exhibition, South Bank QLD
    Another Viewpoint –camera less, Queensland Centre for Photography (QCP), Bulimba QLD
    Take 1, Still Photography for Film and TV, Student Group Exhibition, QCA South Bank, Brisbane QLD
2003
    Superb Moon Chips Photographic Art Practice Group Exhibition, Queensland College of Art (QCA), South Bank QLD


COLLECTIONS

    Thiess Pty Ltd
    Redland Gallery
    Queensland Centre for Photography
    Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital
    Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha
    Southbank Corporation
    Sunsuper
    Gadens Lawyers
    Mater Hospital
    The Americas Biennial Exhibition Archive
    UMCS, Poland
      Private Collections


PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

    Queensland Centre for Photography (QCP) (Management Board Member)
    The Institute of Photographic Technology (IPT)
    Brisbane Ethnic Music and Art Centre (BEMAC)
    Australian Network of Art and Technology (NAVA)
    Golden Key International Honour Society(GK)


BIBLIOGRAPHY

2009
    2009 Queensland Centre for Photography, M. Ortega, Exhibition Catalogue, April 2009
    Sharing... Wespół… Exhibition Catalogue. 2009 p. 19
    Style Mini, M. Kropkowski, Life after Death, April 2009 p. 10
    Prometheus Visual Arts Award 2009, Exhibition Catalogue
2008
    MX, Phipps, J. Artist is truly getting back to nature, Aug 27, p. 4
    Josephine Ulrick & Win Schubert Photography Award, Exhibition Catalogue
2007
    Joel Fine Art Report, Walter Stahl + Renata Buziak, Summer 2007, p. 10
    Gadens Top 10, Exhibition Catalogue Gadens Lawyers, Queen Street Brisbane p. 4
    Brisbane News, P. Brown, Exterior motives, Oct 3-9, p. 31
    City News, Art, The Vibe, p. 32
    Westside News, Creative images made with plants, Sept 19, p. 26
    Australian Art Collector, Image: ‘Brachichyton populneus subsp trilobus’, Issue 40, April-June 2007
    Prometheus Visual Arts Award 2007 Exhibition Catalogue, Merrimac QLD
    The Courier Mail, T. Turner, Stretching the boundaries, Today, May 24, p. 59
2006
    Botanica 2006 Australian Native Plants, M. Drew, The beautiful and the decomposed, Artist-in-Residence, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt. Coot-tha QLD
    The Thiess Art Prize 2006 Exhibition Catalogue, DELL Gallery@QCA, Brisbane QLD
    Hot Pool, Exhibition Catalogue Queensland College of Art Griffith University, Fine Art and Photography Honours 2006
    Saving Daylight, Exhibition Catalogue Queensland College of Art Griffith University Graduating Photography Students
    Craft Arts International Issue 67, 2006, p. 84
    Australian Art Review, A. Lopez, Artists of Tomorrow, Issue 10, March-June 2006, p. 73
    Four Points of View Exhibition Catalogue, V. Rigney, Botanica Wanderlands, QCP, QLD
    The Courier Mail, R. Sorensen, Botany of the beautiful, April 1-2, 200, p. 46
    Griffith Gazette, D. Marshall, 2005 Thiess Art Prize, Issue 1, 2006, p. 7
2005
    The Courier Mail, R. Sorensen, Prize has backyard focus, BAM, Feb 4-5, 2006, p. 7
    The Thiess Art Prize 2005 Catalogue, DELL Gallery, QCA, Brisbane, QLD Craft Arts International Issue 64, 2005, p. 72
    Diversity Exhibition Catalogue, The Institute of Photographic Technology Inc., Melbourne VIC
    HATCHED 05 Catalogue, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth, WA
    Xpress Magazine, eye 4: arts, Grade Expectations, 2nd June 2005, WA
    Prometheus Visual Arts Award 2005 Exhibition Catalogue, Merrimac QLD
    BEMAC NEWS, P. Davies, Visual Artist Profile, Issue 2, 2005, pp 8-9, QLD
2004
    56, Queensland College of Art Griffith University Graduating Photography Students Exhibition Catalogue
    Photofile #73: Summer 2005, Exhibition Review, p. 77
    Colour Box, Dawn Issue, QCA, Brisbane QLD
    Colour Box, Old School Issue, QCA, Brisbane QLD
    2005 Refugee Cultural Calendar, Brisbane Ethnic Music and Art Centre Inc., Brisbane QLD
    Griffith Gazette, B. Layton, Brass and biochromes combine for charity, Vol 19 No. 8, Summer 2004/2005, p. 5


EXPERIENCE

2009
    Queensland College of Art (QCA) Griffith University, Brisbane - Photography Administrative Officer
2008 - 2009
    Queensland Centre for Photography (QCP)South Brisbane QLD
    - Art Consultancy / Marketing
2008
2008
    Joel Fine Art, Paddington QLD - Assistant to Curator
2007 - Current
    Queensland College of Art (QCA), Griffith University, Brisbane - Digital Visualisation Tutor
2007 - 2008
    Higher Art Gallery, Paddington QLD - Gallery Assistance & Management, Art Consultancy
2006 - 2009
    The Gap State High School, Art workshops, Mt Nebo QLD
2007
    Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) – Sunday at the Gallery ‘Photographic gardens with Renata Buziak’ -workshops development and delivery
2007
    Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) Sunday at the Galley workshops assistance to artists Alice Lang and Vivienne Kelly
2006 - 2007
    Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art South Bank - Activity Assistant Children’s Art Centre
2005
    Artworkers Alliance ARC Biennial Volunteer – Exhibition/Forum Assistance
2004 - Current
    Queensland Centre for Photography (QCP) Bulimba QLD
    - Management Board Member - Secretary of the Board
    - Voluntary Casual Staff Member - Gallery assistant, Central Europe Liaison
2004
    Coolibah Family Support Program Lutwyche, Brisbane QLD - Volunteer: Art Workshops Coordinator
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