Lillian Whitaker is a Meanjin (Brisbane) artist whose practice adopts an environmental perspective. Her practice-led, visual arts research, foregrounded by todays’ ecological crises, engages the conceptual separation of humans from the biophysical life systems upon which they depend. The study is framed by a multispecies ethnography that recognises and values the agency of other-than-human species – leading to the production of ephemeral artworks in close collaboration with European honeybees.
The resulting co-creative works model eco-centric approaches to artmaking that practically and conceptually break down the distinctions between our human selves and the more-than-human world. The study therefore interrogates how novel modes of artistic collaboration between artists, ecological experts, and more-than-humans might be engaged in ways that encourage empathy for bees, and by extension, other non-humans.
She uses practical field-work methods whereby she carefully observes ecological phenomena and links these to conducted scientific research. This involves collaborating with bee colonies to create physical sculptures and soundscapes.While completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts - Visual Art, Whitaker studied under a Vice Chancellor’s elite visual and performing arts scholarship. She was later involved as an executive member in the student artist-run initiative Post Datum, fulfilling the position of treasurer from mid-2019 until mid-2020.
In 2017 as a recipient of a Creative Generation Excellence Award, Whitaker exhibited bee-related artwork The Hive (2017) in both the University of the Sunshine Coast Art Gallery and GoMA. As a recipient of the Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Award: Betty Crombie Young Artist Development (2018) and Digital Art Award (2019), She went on to exhibit environmental artworks in Meanjin-based galleries, including the Judith Wright Centre and QCA’s Pop Gallery, as well as galleries in Hervey Bay, Moranbah, Roma, Charters Towers, Charleville, Gatton, Ingham, Toowoomba, Chinchilla, Winton, Toogoolawah and Goondiwindi.
In her 2020 artist residency at Queensland’s State-Library - the Edge, Whitaker merged art, technology, communication and scientific methods to create artworks that responded to scientific provocations concerning honeybee behaviour.
Whitaker recently presented public art project, Co-existing Pollinators, for Metro Arts STUDIO CITY Brisbane Art and Design Festival, and was a finalist in the 2022 Church Emerging Arts Prize at the IMA.
Solo Exhibitions
2022 - Empathetic Ethnography. 'The Block" QUT Kelvin Grove, QLD.
2022 - Mutualisms. Wreckers ArtSpace, Wooloongabba, Brisbane.
Group Exhibitions
2022 - Occupy. Presented by the Australasian Students of Architecture Congress (ASAC). Vacant Assembly, West End QLD.
2022 - The Churchie Emerging Art Prize. Institute of Modern Art (IMA), Fortitude Valley QLD.
2022 - Ecosophies. Frank Moran Memorial Gallery, QUT Creative Industries, Brisbane.
2022 - Catching a Whiff: Olfactory Ecologies. Presented by IN | artist run initiative x Lowana Davies. The Old Lock Up, Maroochydore QLD.
2021 - Labour of Love. Amelia McLeish Masters of Philosophy Exhibition Showcase, Frank Moran Memorial Gallery, QUT Creative Industries, Brisbane.
2021 - Co-Existing Pollinators. Metro Arts STUDIO CITY Brisbane Art and Design Festival, South Brisbane. https://metroarts.com.au/co-existing-pollinators/
2021 - Excerpts. QUT 2021 MPhil and PhD Candidate Showcase. QUT Creative Industries The Block, Brisbane.
2021 - Backyard: Video. Nextdoor Ari. Wooloongabba Substation, Brisbane.
2021 - State of Diversity. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Hervey Bay Regional Gallery.
2021 - State of Diversity. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Coalface Art Gallery, Moranbah.
2021 - State of Diversity. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Roma on Bungil Gallery, Roma.
2021 - State of Diversity. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, The World Theatre Gallery, Charters Towers.
2020 - Hold / Sway. QUT 2020 Graduate Exhibition Showcase. QUT Creative Industries, Brisbane. https://hold-sway.com
2020 - State of Diversity. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Mulga Lands Gallery, Charleville.
2020 - State of Diversity. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Lockyer Valley Art Gallery, Gatton.
2020 - State of Diversity. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Pop Gallery, Brisbane.
2020 - Wanderlust. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, TYTO Regional Gallery, Ingham.
2020 - Wanderlust. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, USQ Artsworkx Gallery, Toowoomba.
2020 - Wanderlust. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Lapunyah Art Gallery, Chinchilla.
2019 - Peergressolate. Frank Moran Memorial Gallery, QUT Creative Industries, Brisbane.
2019 - Palimpsest. QUT Post Datum and UQ SoFA. MetroArts, Brisbane.
2019 - Uncertain Futures. MetroArts, Brisbane.
2019 - Wanderlust. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Waltzing Matilda Centre, Winton.
2019 - Wanderlust. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Somerset Regional Gallery, Toogoolawah.
2019 - Wanderlust. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Goondiwindi Civic Artspace, Goondiwindi.
2019 - Wanderlust. Flying Arts Alliance Queensland Regional Art Awards, Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane.
2018 - Creative Generation. University of Sunshine Coast Art Gallery, Sippy Downs.
2017 - Creative Generation. Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane.
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Collaborative Projects
2020 - Alone Together Artist. https://alonetogether-scp.wixsite.com/urlirl In partnership with QUT's Garden's Theatre.
2020 - System Reset Artist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTId9nLaBUE In partnership with QUT’s Samford Ecological Research Facility.
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Professional Experience
2020 - Alone Together Assistant Producer. https://scpalonetogether.wixsite.com/alonetogether2020 In partnership with QUT's Garden's Theatre.
2020 - System Reset Creative/Conceptual Director. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTId9nLaBUE In partnership with QUT’s Samford Ecological Research Facility.
2019 - 2020 - Treasurer of Post Datum (QUT Artist-run-initiative).
2019 to 2020 - Intern at University of the Sunshine Coast Art Gallery. Employed by Gallery Manager Megan Williams. Roles included in-depth artist and artwork research for the writing/editing of didactics, digital cataloguing of art collections, safe packaging and transporting of artworks, and installation of artworks.
2020 - Events management team member of Junctures. Post Datum x UQ SoFA’s exhibition and performance night. Third Quarter Gallery, Brisbane. 19 Jan 2020.
2017 - Artiz Innovative Workshop. Flying Arts Alliance (workshop participant). The Edge, Queensland State Library, Brisbane.
2017 - Art Enquirer Program. Institute of Modern Art and Flying Arts Alliance. A two-day critical research and art writing program.
Public Art Projects
2021- Co-existing Pollinators - Metro Arts STUDIO CITY Brisbane Art and Design Festival. https://metroarts.com.au/co-existing-pollinators/
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Curatorial Projects
2022 - Empathetic Ethnography. 'The Block" QUT Kelvin Grove, QLD.
2022- Final Fridays: Holding Space - Reflections on Creative Communities. Institute of Modern Art (IMA), Fortitude Valley, QLD.
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Residencies
2020 - The Edge, Queensland State Library, Brisbane.
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Artist Talks/Forums
2021 - Open Air - artist forum in collaboration with Torin Francis, Metro Arts West Village, Brisbane.
2021 - Excerpts - artist talk, The Block, QUT Creative Industries, Brisbane.
2020 - Hold / Sway - online artist talk, QUT Creative Industries, Brisbane.
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Scholarships Awards and Prizes
2022 - The Churchie Emerging Art Prize (finalist)
2021 - The Hilde Chenhall Memorial Scholarship in Visual Arts (nominee)
2020 - NAVA Ignition Prize for professional practice
2020 - Dean’s List Semester 2, Queensland University of Technology
2020 - The Hilde Chenhall Memorial Scholarship in Visual Arts (nominee)
2020 - Dean’s List Semester 1, Queensland University of Technology
2019 - Dean’s List Semester 2, Queensland University of Technology
2019 to Current - Golden Key Award, International Honours Society
2019 - Queensland Regional Arts Award - Digital Art Award, Flying Arts Alliance
2018 - Dean’s List Semester 2, Queensland University of Technology
2018 – Queensland Regional Arts Award - Betty Crombie Young Artist Development Award, Flying Arts Alliance.
2017 - Current - Vice Chancellor’s Elite Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship, Queensland University of Technology
2017 - Creative Generation Excellence Award, Department of Education, supported by the Queensland Art Gallery ǀ Gallery of Modern Art
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Publications
2017 - Lillian Whitaker, 2017, History Throughout Art, Art Enquirer, Volume 1, Pages 56-61. https://flyingarts. https://flyingarts.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Art-Enquirer-Draft-D4.pdf Published September 2017 by Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane.
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Bibliography
2021 - ABC TV Landline Segment 31/10/2021: The Delicate Art of Removing Bees from Houses. https://www.abc.net.au/landline/bee-rescue:-the-delicate-art-of-removing-bees-from/13611294?jwsource=cl
2021 - Coexisting Pollinators: A series of installations exploring bees and humans that will leave you positively buzzing. Metro Arts online events article. https://metroarts.com.au/co-existing-pollinators/
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Education
2022 (projected) - Master of Philosophy, Queensland University of Technology
2018 to 2020 - Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts) - with Distinction, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
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As an artist, I feel a crucial sense of responsibility to provide enriching and educational art experiences to communities, empowering them through scientific education and solution-based optimism.