Statement
Hi, my name is Sam.
I go by the pronouns you/your. Or just call me Sam when referring to me. Always present.
Born in the early 80s, I have mousey brown hair and fair skin. I'm a power wheelchair user and I use AAC to communicate. And I’m Queer.
I am a visual artist, writer and performer.
I work with identity, touching everyday feelings between the playful and the political. Of course, this is always to do with my disabilities. Focusing on access, and the lack of it - to places, people’s minds and opportunities.
My work is very much installation based, I like to permeate a space, make it my own, because I am not welcome in so many. I get inside, as much as I can, with myself and my fluids. I try to get inside your minds, and laugh, and scream.
I am a third generation white settler, of German and British descent. I live and work by the Birrarung, on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung people of the Kulin nation. I pay my respects to Elders both past, present and to the future. Land that was, and still is being stolen.
My access needs are time to communicate, zoom when appropriate and power wheelchair access when not. These needs may cost more, but it's my life.
Education
Bachelor of Fine Art, Victorian College of the Arts 2012 — 2016
Diploma of Visual Arts, Swinburne University of Technology, 2011
Solo Exhibitions
2020 My Pee Is Political — Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney
2018 Worm — R. J. Login Reserve, Naarm/so called Melbourne
2017 I’m Not There — TCB Art Inc, Naarm/so called Melbourne
2017 I’ll Do Angels Instead — Kyneton Stockroom, Kyneton
2017 Grey — Bus Projects, Naarm/so called Melbourne
2016 Clay like — George Paton Gallery, Naarm/so called Melbourne
2012 Had a few too many “she’s amazing” today — Room IV The Tree House, Naarm/so called Melbourne
Group Exhibitions
2024 Yucky ACE gallery, Tarndanya/so called Adelaide
2022 Other Body Knowledge KINGS Gallery, Naarm/so called Melbourne
2022 Agent Bodies RMIT gallery, Naarm/so called Melbourne
2021 True Colours, Bus Projects, Naarm/so called Melbourne
2020 Overlapping Magisteria, The 2020 Macfarlane Commission — Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Naarm/so called Melbourne
2018 With Seeing Hands — group exhibitirion curated by Alice Mathieu, Incinerator Gallery, Moonee Ponds
2017 Real life Fantasies — group show, West Space, Naarm/so called Melbourne
2017 Low roofs make one feel like a mole in general — group show, Rearview, Collingwood
2015 Hmmm could be worse — pop up group show. Parkville
2012 Cause & Effect — group project show, Arts House — Warehouse, North Melbourne
Major Performances
2023 Unloved & Revenge — As part of “Mother Tongue - Women of Banyule and Beyond”, The Centre, Ivanhoe
2021 I’m Still Feeling It — Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Naarm/so called Melbourne.
2019 My pee is political — As part of "Liquid Architecture", Abbotsford Convent
2019 What might be obvious to me may not be obvious to others — As part of "Language: Interdisciplinary public forum", University of Melbourne
2019 Gaslighting — As part of "WTF is Performance Lecture?", University of Melbourne
2018 I'm Not A Good Girl — West Space
Awards, Scholarships and Residencies
2020 Constant Ecology Residency, supported by West Space
2019 Project funding, Australia Council for the Arts
2019 Keith and Elisabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship (finalist), Margaret Lawrence Gallery, University of Melbourne VCA
2016 The Basic Artist Services Graduate Prize, Basic Artist Services
2016 National Gallery of Victoria Women's Association Award. VCA University of Melbourne
2016 Majlis Travelling Scholarship (finalist), VCA University of Melbourne
2012 Melbourne Access Scholarship, VCA University of Melbourne
2012 Agnes Roberston Scholarship for Painting, VCA University of Melbourne
Projects
2016 Artist talk and workshop — Melbourne University
2015 Hmmm could be worse — Curator and coordinator, group exhibition and pop up gallery, Parkville
2011 Things We Can’t Say — Sponsorship coordination for group exhibition
2011 Course and Effect — Co-planning and run workshops funded by Arts Victoria
Publications
2023 Statement for the Disability Royal Commission Hearing 32 — Personal Statement
2022 Other Body Knowledge: Art and Ableism | KINGS Artist-Run — Artist Talk
2022 Down to 10 Days, Sam’s Experience — Summer Foundation campaign
2022 Can You Be Your Whole Self Without Compromise?: Public Life, Public Accessibility, Public Art and Disability Justice — Let's Go Outside: Art in Public book
2021 How Pain is Received — A Fluorescent Feeling podcast
2021 A Conversation About Moving Out of a Nursing Home — Summer Foundation Housing Hub
2021 What Might Be Obvious To Me May Not Be Obvious To Others — ‘Language,’ Potter Interdisciplinary Forum, Jun 2021
2020 Disabled Otherworlds — Robin M Eames, Overlapping Magisteria catalogue, Dec 2020
2020 Meet the Artist Addressing Disability and Sexuality with Plasticine — Doug Wallen, Broadsheet, Dec 2020 2020 How are you today? — Pro Prac Podcast, June 2020
2020 Why I write so little — Un Magazine, May 2020
2020 From Abdul Abdullah to Vincent Namatjira: 10 artists forging a new political future — Chloé Wolifson, The Guardian, Jan 2020
Upcoming Projects
2024 Adelaide Contemporary Experimental Gallery
Currently working on ‘Slow Violence Cook Book’