Biography
Lorraine Meinke is a multi-disciplinary, Australian artist, who lives and works in Brunswick, Victoria.
Lorraine is best known for her unique, hand built, ceramic fish sculptures and her ephemeral art installations that focus on environmental concerns made using found natural materials.
Largely inspired by nature, Lorraine’s art practice also includes botanical watercolour illustration, charcoal and graphite pencil drawing, portrait and natural history painting in oils and acrylics, photography, relief printmaking, metal sculpture, slump glass and textiles.
Prior to becoming a full-time artist, Lorraine worked in a number of other creative capacities including illustration, graphic and multimedia design and landscape architecture.
Art Curriculum Vitae
Formal Educational Qualifications
Masters of Landscape Architecture (2010), Melbourne University (Melbourne School of Design)
Graduate Certificate of Landscape Architecture (2007), Melbourne University (Melbourne School of Design)
Graduate Certificate of Multimedia Design (2000), Swinburne University (National School of Design)
Bachelor of Commerce (1994), Deakin University
Bachelor of Arts (1990), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Informal Educational Qualifications
Lorraine has undertaken informal study at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in the areas of welding, blacksmithing and cast bronze metal sculpture. Lorraine has also studied printmaking at the Australian Print Workshop, timber furniture making at the Centre for Adult Education (CAE), slump glass work at Blue Dog Glass, life drawing and portrait painting from life at the Victorian Artists’ Society and book binding at the Box Hill Community Arts Centre.
Professional Appointments
Lorraine has been appointed as an external assessment panel member for the City of Melbourne for a four year period effective from September 2020 to 2024. As such, Lorraine may be involved in the assessment of arts grants for the City of Melbourne during this period.
Solo Exhibitions
2019
Peer Program Exhibition, Australian Print Workshop, Open Access Studio, Fitzroy, Victoria
Home Grown, Knox Immerse Exhibition Program, Coonara Community House, Ferntree Gully, Victoria
2010
Get Hatched, Ephemeral art installation, City of Melbourne, Victoria
Selected Exhibitions & Awards
2024
29th Mayoral Art Exhibition, Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery, Ringwood, Victoria
2023
Design Fringe, Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda, Victoria
Winter Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Autumn Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Gippsland Sculpture Exhibition, ARC Yinnar Gallery, Yinnar, Victoria
28th Mayoral Art Exhibition, Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery, Ringwood, Victoria
Contemporary Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
2022
27th Mayoral Art Exhibition, Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery, Ringwood, Victoria
Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Queensland
Autumn Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
2021
Australian Bookplate Design Award 2021, Online exhibition
Sculptor of the Year Award Exhibition (by invitation only), Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Winter Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Autumn Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria (Highly Commended Award for Sculpture)
Flora 2021, Heritage Hill Museum and Historic Gardens, Dandenong, Victoria
Northern Beaches Libraries Artists' Book Award 2021, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly, New South Wales
2020
2020 Print Exchange, Print Council of Australia, Online exhibition and auction
Flora 2020, Botanical Art Society of Australia, Online exhibition
The Art of Botanical Illustration Exhibition, Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Online exhibition
Winter Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
2019
reFraming Nature, Natural History Art Exhibition, Domain House, Melbourne, Victoria
Spring Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Home Grown, Knox Immerse Exhibition Program, Ferntree Gully Library, Ferntree Gully, Victoria
Winter Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition, Toorak, Victoria
Metamorphosis Unframed, Belconnen Arts Centre, Foyer Gallery, Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory
Gippsland Sculpture Exhibition, Arc Yinnar Gallery, Yinnar, Victoria
The 16th Kenneth Jack Memorial Drawing Award, AGRA Galleries, Camberwell, Victoria
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, Victoria
Yarra Glen Art Show, Yarra Glen Memorial Hall, Yarra Glen, Victoria
2018
Animalia, Maroondah Access Gallery, Ringwood, Victoria
Collins Place Summer Salon, Collins Place Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
Sculptor of the Year Award Exhibition (by invitation only), Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Commissioned Editions, Collins Place Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria and Ultimo Project Upspace, Marrickville, New South Wales
The Art of Botanical Illustration, Domain House, Melbourne, Victoria
Spring Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
FAC Open Exhibition, Cube Gallery, Frankston, Victoria
Lethbridge 10000 Small Scale Art Award, Lethbridge Gallery (online finalist), Paddington, Queensland
Winter Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Autumn Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Queensland
Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham Art Gallery, Werribee, Victoria
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, Victoria
Art Bargain Sale Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
2017
reFraming Nature, Natural History Art Exhibition, Domain House, Melbourne, Victoria
Spring Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
Portrait Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries, East Melbourne, Victoria
2016
The Art of Botanical Illustration, Domain House, Melbourne, Victoria
2009
Pottery Expo @ Warrandyte, Yarra River, Victoria
Sydney Teapot Show 2009, Inner City Clayworkers’ Gallery, Glebe, New South Wales
Murderous Melbourne, Leigh Scott Gallery, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria
EYES, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria
2006
Painters and Potters, Eltham Library Gallery, Victoria
2003
The 2003 Salon des Refuses, The Barn Gallery, Montsalvat, Eltham, Victoria
2002
The Moreland Sculpture Show, Coburg Lake Reserve, Victoria
The A4 Refugee Project, Metro Arts Building, Brisbane, Queensland
Salon des Refuses: The alternative Archibald and Wynne Prize selection, National Trust SH Ervin Gallery, Millers Point, New South Wales
Spring, Warrandyte Artworks Gallery, Victoria
Art: The Other Gold, Warrandyte Artworks Gallery, Victoria
Publications
Meinke, L 2019, Native Garden, artists’ book, Lorraine Meinke, Melbourne, Victoria.
Meinke, L 2010, Get Hatched, Ephemeral Art Installation, artists’ book, Lorraine Meinke, Melbourne, Victoria.
Media
The Percivals 2022, exhibition catalogue, 23 April- 3 July, Galleries, Townsville City Council, Townsville, Queensland.
Immerse Exhibition 2019, exhibition catalogue, 1-29 September, Knox City Council, Knox municipality, Victoria.
Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition 2019, exhibition catalogue, 1 May-9 June, Toorak Village, City of Stonnington City Council, Toorak, Victoria.
The Gippsland Sculpture Exhibition 2019, exhibition catalogue, 6 April-1 June, Arc Yinnar Gallery, Latrobe City Council, Yinnar, Victoria.
The Percivals 2018, exhibition catalogue, 27 April-15 July, Galleries, Townsville City Council, Townsville, Queensland.
Wyndham Art Prize 2018, exhibition catalogue, 30 March-11 June, Wyndham Art Gallery, Wyndham City Council, Werribee, Victoria.
McGaw, J, Wallis, J & Greenaway, J 2014, Re-making Indigenous Place in Melbourne: Towards a Victorian Indigenous Cultural Knowledge and Education Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria.
McGaw, J 2010, ‘Creative Provocations’, in S Roudavski (ed), Map 1: Investigative designing as an approach to architectural creativity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, pp.78-96.
EYES 2008, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria.
Gallagher, J 2003, ‘The A4 Refugee Project’, Artlink, vol. 3, no.1, pp.68-69.
Heath, T 2002, ‘Sculpted vistas’, Brunswick Moreland Leader, 2 December, p.10.
Macmillan, S 2002, ‘Best of the rejects’, The Sunday Telegraph, 16 June, p.114.
Browne, R 2002, ‘You should really get out more...Art’, The Sun-Herald, 16 June.
Loane, S 2002, radio interview, 702 ABC Radio, 6 June.
Low, L 2002, ‘He may be no oil painting, but Dr Karl's a great portrait poser’, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 May, p.7.
Collections
Lorraine’s work is held in private collections throughout Australia and overseas.
Public and institutional collections in which Lorraine’s work is held include the Australian Print Workshop, Melbourne Museum, Monash University, Moreland City Council, National Library of Australia, Parliament of Victoria's Heritage Collection, Print Council of Australia, Scotch College, the [Victorian] State Botanical Collection, the State Library of Queensland and the State Library of Victoria.
Professional Memberships
Botanical Art Society of Australia
Copyright Agency
Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
National Association for the Visual Arts
Print Council of Australia Inc
The Australian Ceramics Association
The Victorian Artists’ Society
A print friendly pdf version of my biography and art curriculum vitae can be downloaded here.