2 – 19 May 2019
about the exhibition
Judy Horacek is a Melbourne-based artist, cartoonist, illustrator and author who is renowned for her witty and humorous interpretations of social and political issues. This exhibition, ‘Instances’, is Judy’s exploration of ideas about early humans, the discovery of the symbolic and how our understanding of humankind has evolved and been shaped over time. Taking inspiration from ancient Mycenaean and Cycladic figurines, Judy places her figures into an image providing them with the very limited materials in the world at that time – clay, wood and fire. Through her various mediums, Judy gives life to rediscovered objects of antiquity. “I am fascinated by the fact that often we don’t know what these figures were, they were often buried for centuries before being rediscovered. Did they represent humans or gods, were they used for ceremonies or children’s games?” Judy’s vibrant paintings, prints and porcelain sculptures transport us to a whimsical imaginary world as she muses upon ancient objects and the people who made them.
Judy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours, majoring in Fine Arts and English Literature from Melbourne University in 1985. In 2005, she continued her studies with a Bachelor of Arts (Visual), majoring in Printmedia and Drawing from the Australian National University. Since 1995, Judy has worked as a cartoonist for several newspapers including the Canberra Times, The Australian and The Age, where she is published regularly. Nine collections of her cartoons have been published, the most recent of which is ‘Random Life’. Judy has also illustrated and authored several children’s picture books including ‘Yellow is my favourite colour’, and ‘The Story of Growl’. Inspired by one of Judy’s etchings, she and Mem Fox created the instant children’s classic ‘Where is the Green Sheep?’ and they have now collaborated on five books together. Judy has participated in over forty solo and group exhibitions throughout Australia.
