Mari Hirata

My Photographs talk about the unity of formality and informality. It is the combination of established procedure and order, with the notion of surrealism and visual puns.

Progressing forward from the commencement of my photographic works, the White Shoe Series, evolves several works of an analogous kind, which similarly deals with the process of collecting, installing, and documenting objects of the same, multiplied components. After much exploration of various materials, I have come to revisit my primary subject, the white high heels, wherein my attempts are to challenge the human eye, its perception to make sense, and the condition in which our minds attempts to identify with memory, and past visual experiences.

Through this notion of the 'impossible object', my inspiration emerges from the continuing attempt to exercise the mental thought, during which I believe the mind enters a state, almost of the likes of meditation, where control lies within the ritual of placement and arrangement, reflecting patterns of positive and negative space, and the awareness of claiming the space.

My interests lie strongly within the personal, individual perception of the audience, including myself. As I have my own reasons and interpretations conveyed through my works, I find it equally fascinating to experience the varied responses from viewers, stimulated by senses of past memory and visual experiences.

I believe when it is said that, 'for an artist to be prevented of creation and creative thoughts, is the equivalent as to being deprived of oxygen.' As long as I have the ability to create, my world will be in a perfect circle.

Born in Japan, between a Japanese father and a Sri Lankan & Dutch mother, the first 10 years of my life was spent growing up in the city of Yokohama, Japan. Even then, I attended regular after-school classes in art and in music, in particular, the piano. After moving residence to Australia, I attended my last two years of primary studies, and on to High School at Aquinas Catholic College, where I excelled especially in art related subjects. After graduation, and still following my passions, I enrolled in the Bachelor of Visual Arts in Fine Art, at Queensland College of Art, were the focus was on interdisciplinary studies, which covered everything from traditional painting and printmaking, to installation and multimedia.

It was not until my final year, that I developed an interest in photography - and there arrived my first series of work, 'The white shoe series'. After graduating my bachelors, I continued my studies through a Postgraduate degree in MAVA (Master of Arts in Visual Arts), majoring in photography. During this time, my focus lied strongly within the components of installation and photography.

Education

• 2003 Master of Arts in Visual Arts: Photography Major. Queensland College of Art, Griffith University
• 2001 Bachelor of Visual Arts in Fine Art. Queensland College of Art, Griffith University

Selected Exhibitions

• 2005 New works: Metro5 Gallery, Melbourne.
• 'Starry Eyed' Art Galleries Schubert, Marina Mirage
• Churchie Emerging Art Exhibition, Anglican Church Grammer School, Brisbane.
• Kodak Autumn Salon, CCP, Melbourne.
• 'Prometheus' Visual Arts Award, All Saints Anglican School.
• 'Ulrick Schubert Photography Award', Gold Coast City Art Gallery.
• 2004 'Straight Out Of Brisbane' (SOOB) Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm.
• 'Departure Lounge', Queensland Centre for Photography, Bulimba, Brisbane.
• 'Conrad Jupiters Art Prize', Gold Coast City Art Gallery.
• 'Josephine Ulrick Portrait Prize', Tweed River Art Gallery.
• 'Space Invaders', Toowoomba Regional Gallery.
• 'Gold Coast Art & Design Award'
• 'Retrospective' 60 Merivale Street, Brisbane
• '2004 Churchie Emerging Art Exhibition', Anglican Church Grammar School, Brisbane.
• 'Mie Gakure', Metro5 Gallery, Melbourne.
• 'Genesis V', Bond University Art Gallery.
• 'All That Glitters', Gold Coast City Art Gallery.
• 'Timeholes', Soapbox Gallery, Brisbane.
• '2004 Nikon Summer Salon', Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne.
• 2003 '2003 Conrad Jupiters Art Prize', Gold Coast City Art Gallery.
• 'Photography Now: Flashpoint', Metro 5 Gallery, Melbourne.
• 'Intensification' Soap Box Gallery, Brisbane.
• '5D' 60 Merrivale St, Brisbane.
• 'Great Shots' (in conjunction with)'Refocus: A Photographic Symposium', Art Galleries Schubert, Marina Mirage.
• 'Gold Coast Ulrick Schubert Photography Art Exhibition', Gold Coast City Art Gallery.
• 'Young Millennials', Art Galleries Schubert, Marina Mirage.
• 'Genesis IV', Bond University Art Gallery.
• 'The Pink Poodle Art Prize', presented by CR Resorts, Bond University Art Gallery.
• 2002 'Art and Opera ~ Under the Sails', Art Galleries Schubert, Marina Mirage.
• 'Omnibus' Final Year Solo Exhibition, White Box Gallery, Griffith University.
• 'Belonging' solo installation/display, White Box Gallery, Griffith University.
• 'From the Coast and Beyond' Star gallery, Grey St. Brisbane.
• 'Gold Coast Ulrick Schubert Photography Art Exhibition' Gold Coast City Art Gallery.
• 2001 'Discombobulate' QCA graduate exhibition, Gold Coast City Arts Gallery.

Grants/Awards/Prizes

• 2005 Kodak Autumn Salon: 'Excellence in Photomedia', Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne
• 2004 NAVA Visual Art and Craft Artists' Grant; "Departure Lounge"
• 2004 Space Invaders: Toowoomba Emerging Artist Exhibition, two works aquired&selected for touring exhibition; 'Crates on Wheels'
• 2004 Gold Coast Art & Design Award, winner of 2D category
• 2004 May; Churchie Emerging Art Exhibition, Highly Commended in the category of New Technologies
• 2003 April; Griffith University Postgraduate Student Association, Excellence in Postgraduate Coursework Award.
• 2003 January; 'The Pink Poodle Art Prize', Commended.
• 2001 September; 'N.A.B. Contemporary Art Prize', Pat Corrigan Photographic Acquisition Prize.
• 1998 Minister's Award for Excellence in Art: Regional exhibition.
• 1998 David Alcock Memorial Arts Award.

Commissions

• Museum of Brisbane hoardings public art project / billboard presentation at the Brisbane Square Building
• Place 2005, Artworkers Alliance & Pitcher Partners - collaboration for 2005 desktop calendar, Image: January.
• Promotional images / materials for Lecia McPhail-Bell (Musician & performer)
• Front Cover; 'The Regular Correspondence of a Love Affair with Words' A book of poetry by Mandy Beaumont
• Modelling Folio; series 1&2 self-promotional images for Tewodros
• In conjunction with National Youth Week: Image for The Minister of Arts and Education

Collections

• Patrick Corrigan collection
• Art Galleries Schubert collection
• Gold Coast City Arts Gallery collection
• Metro5 Gallery collection
• Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery collection
• Institute of Technology Sydney collection
• Parliament House, Minister's Boardroom, Brisbane
• Youth Arts Queensland Collection (hire)
• Private collections

Selected Publications

• ‘Photography; Mari Hirata’, Lino magazine, Issue No.9, 2005, pp.60-64
• Place 2005, Artworkers Alliance & Pitcher Partners - collaboration for 2005 desktop calendar, Image: January.
• 'If the shoe fits' & 'editor's note', Sesame magazine, vol.2, Spring/Summer edition 2004.
• 'The Regular Correspondence of a Love Affair with Word', A book of poetry by Mandy Beaumont; Front Cover.
• McDonald, John, ‘Diary; Departure Lounge’, Qantas magazine, November issue.
• Hammond, Jodi, 'Mari steps to art acclaim', The Gold Coast 'Weekender' Bulletin, May 29-30th, 2004, p.14
• 'Art, Churchie-style', The Courier Mail, Friday May 14th, 2004
• 'mX Nightlife', The Age (Melbourne), Friday April 23rd, 2004 p.18
• SBS Radio Interview, Melbourne; 93.1FM, Brisbane; 93.3FM, Thurs 15th Apr 2004, 11pm - 12midnight (alchemy)
• 'Reviews; allthatglitters: contemporary visions of the Gold Coast', Artlink, Vol.24 Nov, 2004, p.90
• Hammond Jodi, 'The Weekender', Gold Coast Bulletin, may 29-30th 2004, p.14
• 'Domain', The Age (Melbourne), Wednesday October 1, 2003, p.2
• 'Flashpoint: Focus Sharpens on lens flair', The Australian Financial Review, Weekend, September 27-28, 2003 pp.36-37
• '2003 Border Art Prize’, Gold Coast 'Weekender' Bulletin, May 10-11, 2003 p.22
• Hales Jo, Weekend Bulletin, Oct 27-28, 2001, p.22