Heather Groves is an Australian visual artist, her current studio practice focuses on the processes of printmaking in woodcut, and metal plate etching. The limited-edition prints are a collection of studies into relatable subjects, both familiar and intimate, they are focused on the concepts of resilience and resistance. Metaphor and symbolism are often used to express these ideas and play with colour and language is an important part of the process. Heather leans into humour and her work is a search for the silly side of the subjects she finds most curious.
‘The work I make is based on my training as a sculptor. When I was studying, I learnt how to understand the space around me, the objects that lived in that space and what they meant. I learnt that objects have a presence and making sculpture is exciting and fatiguing because I can never escape materiality- what things are made of. Printmaking gave me an entrée into another space, a more conceptually open but materially contained space. Wood blocks are a flat matrix, a two-dimensional surface to project my ideas onto. So, I am always trying to bridge the two disciplines, linking the three and two dimensional, in this way I make sculpture that is flat, or I push what had form back into submission and flatten it out. This is where I got the name flatout prints. Flatout working, flatout sculptures onto wood.’
Heather studied BA in Visual Arts with Honours at School of Art and Design, ANU, with a major in sculpture and a minor in book design. She learnt woodcut printmaking techniques while studying at L’Ecole Nationale Supérieur des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. She completed Postgraduate studies in French language and translation from the ANU in 2020.
Heather has exhibited in Australia, France, USA, and the UK, her work is held in private collections in Australia, Europe, and USA.
Education
2020
Graduate Certificate of Studies (language and translation studies (French/English/Arabic) ANU CANBERRA
2012
Bachelor Visual Art with Honours, Sculpture (book design minor) ANU CANBERRA
2010
Atelier Emmanuel Saulnier and Atelier Jean-Pierre Tanguy, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) PARIS, FRANCE
——————-
Exhibitions
2025
40x40, group exhibition, Mosman Rowers, Sydney
Yellow, group exhibition, Tiliqua Tiliqua, Sydney
2024
Annual printmaking exhibition, group exhibition, Curl Curl Creative Space, Sydney
Annual printmakers show, group exhibition, Tiliqua Tiliqua, Sydney
Creative open 2024 Northern Beaches council - Warringah Print Studio, group exhibition, Sydney
Incognito Art Show, group exhibition, 410 Oxford St Pop-up, Sydney
Press Gang, group exhibition, Mosman Rowers, Sydney
2024 Annual Seattle Print Arts Print Exchange, group exhibition, Seattle USA
Magenta, group exhibition, Tiliqua Tiliqua, Sydney
2023
Small Works Show for 2023, group exhibition, Tiliqua Tiliqua, Sydney
Print to Print (Megalo Relief Club), group exhibition, CSIRO Discovery Centre Gallery, Canberra
Pin 9 (small sculpture), group exhibition, ANCA, Canberra
Adelaide International Print exchanges: Interwoven, Global Oceans, and Winged Messages,
City of West Torrens Auditorium Gallery, South Australia
Nurturing nature, solo exhibition, Rusten House Art Centre, Queanbeyan NSW
2022
Impressions 22 Megalo member’s exhibition, Megalo Print Studio, Canberra
International Print Exchange 2022, Green Door Printmaking Studio, Derbyshire U.K.
Traces VI, group exhibition, Belconnen Arts Centre, Canberra
South Australia Nature Festival, Interwoven; Adelaide international print exchange,
South Australian Museum, Adelaide
Compact prints international print exhibition, exchange & auction 2022,
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, Townsville
In my backyard 2022 - International Print Exchange, Castlemaine Press, Castlemaine
Print council of Australia fourth biennial Print Exchange, Print Council of Australia (online)
2014
Terms and Conditions, group exhibition, curated by Chloe Mandryk, Nishi gallery Canberra
May contain nuts, solo exhibition, CCAS Manuka, Canberra
2013
CCAS member’s show 2013: Mini pops, group exhibition, CCAS, Canberra
Hexagonal (group exhibition), Photospace gallery Canberra
Momentum (group exhibition, curated by Dianne Libke) Belconnen arts centre Canberra
ANU Graduate exhibition (group exhibition), SOA ANU Canberra
2012
Food Trumps Art (group exhibition, curator and participating artist), CCAS Manuka, Canberra
Spring Zine fair, Smith’s alternative Canberra
2011
Bone Idol, CCAS, Canberra
2010
Portes ouvertes (group exhibition), ENSBA Paris, France
Exposition atelier Saulnier (group exhibition), Galerie Gauche, ENSBA Paris, France
————-
Collections
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, Townsville
Print Council of Australia, Melbourne
Seattle Print Arts, Seattle, WA, Unite States of America.
Awards
2012
Emerging Artists’ Support Scheme CCAS studio residency for 2013 CCAS CANBERRA
Arts Professional
2013-2019 Artist Educator, National Gallery of Australia CANBERRA
2015 Educator, Belconnen Arts Centre CANBERRA
2008-2011 Studio assistant/Educator, Hands on Studio CANBERRA
———
Selected Press
Art Not Apart, Canberra Art Festival, Terms and Conditions group exhibition, Heather Brenchley, March 2014
The Sydney Morning Herald, Capital life, Potential allergens alert By Sally Pryor, February 7, 2014
The Canberra Times, Capital life, Potential allergens alert By Sally Pryor, February 8, 2014
BMA Magazine, Artist profile Heather Brenchley, issue.407, November 21 2012 pg.35