BIO
narinda cook is a Naarm/Melbourne based artist working in spatial practice creating sculptures, installations and wearable objects. Working with a range of materials, Narinda creates work with intent to play with time and evoke nostalgia and memory. Her work often responds to the body and architecture creating site-specific environments using pre and post consumer materials.
Cook completed a Bachelor of Fine Art, Sculpture at VCA and has held solo exhibitions at Gertrude Contemporary, Bus Gallery, Westspace, Linden Contemporary, Incinerator Gallery and Trocadero Art Space. She has participated in group shows nationally and in New Zealand, including at Heide Museum of Modern Art and Project Space at Deakin University. She held a residency at Gertrude Contemporary, won third prize in the 2020 Picturing Footscray Photography prize, recipient of the 2020 Aphids No Contest Art Prize and was Guest Curator at Artspace, Realm in 2022. Cook held the position of President of Trocadero Art Space committee from 2015 -2018, and continues on the committees as an advisor, and was Chairperson of West Projections Festival 2018. She held a residency at Gertrude Contemporary 1999-2001.
CV
Curatorial Projects
2022 Conscious Projections, Guest Curator, Artspace at Realm, Maroondah City Council, featuring Alison Bennett, Roberta Rich, Jonathan Homesy and Diimpa
2021 DIS/Connected, Maroondah Federation Estate, featuring Konrad Winkler, Cherry Hood, Larry Jenkins and Kate James
2021 Light and Shadow - Works from the Maroondah Art Collection, Maroondah Federation Estate featuring Jill Orr, Lin Onus, Martin King, Karen Kasey, Edward Blinter, Paul Andrew Compton, Ben Reid, Judy Holding, Peter Lyssiotis and Catherine Woo.
2019 Knocking at Newell’s, in conjunction with West Projections and Winter Projects, incorporating projections, artist talks, performance and a talk at the Greek Orthodox Church
2016 Standing Ovation, co-curated with Georgia Banks, Trocadero Art Space featuring Julie Sheils, Kate Just, Gabby O’Connor, Georgia Banks and Narinda Cook
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 Unearthly Delights, Wyreena Community Arts Centre
2018 Moon, Little....No BIG
2017 Wasted: Finding melting Point,Trocadero Art Space
2016 Play, Artplay
2015 Play, Incinerator Gallery
2007 Play, Linden New Art
2005 Nine3, in collaboration with Paul Irving, Bus Gallery
2003 Dot2dot, 24/7
2001 Botbotscape, Westspace
2000 Plasticins blobulis, Studio 12, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces
1999 Eyecandy, Parlour 2000
1997 Hundreds and Thousands, Gogo Gallery
1996 Illusive Realms, George Paton Gallery, Melbourne University
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025. We are Each Others Best Hope, facilitated by Wha_Hunter, Honey Bones Gallery
2024. Taking Shape, curated by Stacy Jewell, Trocadero Projects
2020 Picturing Footscray Photography Prize, Victoria University, online exhibition
2020 McClelland National Small Sculpture Award 2020, McClelland Gallery, online exhibition
2020 Angel Exchange, hosted by Bus Projects, instigated by Zara Sully
2020 Small Mercies Fundraiser, curated by Tara Gilbee, Creative Spaces River Studios
2019 Friends and Family, Daine Singer
2019 Colour Chameleon, with Tara Gilbee and Melinda Harper, The Project Space Deakin University
2019 BIG/SMALL, curated by Matto Lucas, Motley Bauhaus
2019 Ghost Without a Home, curated by Jess Wilson, Rubicon ARI
2018 House Party : A Group Exhibition, curated by Jess Wilson, Coburg
2018 Trocadero Art Space Fundraiser and End of Year Party
2016 Standing Ovation, Trocadero Art Space
2015 Allot, Trocadero Art Space
2009 Wallpaper, Trocadero Art Space
2008 Williamstown Festival Art Prize, Substation
2007 The Space In Between #4, curated by Tara Gilbee, Margaret Lawerance Gallery, Melbourne; Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo; Umbrella Arts Studios, Townsville; and LaTrobe Regional Gallery, La Trobe
2005 A4 Art, Westspace
Selecta, Westspace
Toyutopia, Yarra Sculpture Gallery
Williamstown Festival Art Prize, Substation
2003 I heard It On The Grapevine..., curated by Zara Stanhope,Heide Museum of Modern Art
2002 While Stocks Last, curated by Gabby O'Connor,Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Wellington, NZ
The Space In between, in collaboration with Gabby O'connor, curated by Tara Gilbee, Platform Artist Spaces
2001 Best Practice, curated by Samantha Comte, Monash Faculty Gallery
2000 Make It Yourself, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne Festival
Salt, sugar, plasticine and string with Gabby O'Connor, Artist Made Objects
1999 Gertrude St Studio Artists, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces
New Horizons, Curated by Shaun Wilson, as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival, Mass Gallery
1998 Sophia, with Emilia Storm, curated by David Thomas, Bridge: Construction In Process IV, Melbourne
1996 Box, Next Wave Festival, VCA Gallery
1995 Like A Rash It Spreads, curated by Rachel Brusachi, 202 Gertrude St
Prizes, Grants and Residencies
2020 APHIDS No Contest Art Prize, 2020, Recipient
2020 McClelland National Small Sculpture Award 2020, Finalist
2020 Picturing Footscray, Recipient of Third Prize
2015-16 ARTSBOX Studio Residency, City of Maribyrnong
2001 Recipient of Pat Corrigan Grant managed by NAVA
1999-2001 Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces - Studio Residency
Appointments
2019-current Advisor, Trocadero Art Space
2019-2020 General member, West Projections
2018 Chair, West Projections
2015-18 President, Trocadero Art Space
Workshops
2016 Artplay, The Art of Play: Abstract Sculptures
2016 Incinerator Arts Complex, The Art of Play: Abstract Sculptures, The Sound of Play: Meditation and Abstract Collage
Art Production
2009-14 Artist assistant for Julie Shiels for private collections, public sculpture Albert St, South Melbourne and public sculpture Hampton Rd, Hampton, Melbourne
2005 Artist assistant for Arterial Collective in conjunction with Vicky Couzens, Treahna Hamm and Lee Darroch’s public artwork Birrarung Wilam, Birrarung Marr/Yarra River, Melbourne
2005 Sculptors assistant for Vengeance Productions, Ghost Rider
1996-2001 Studio assistant for Arcana Pursuits Kaleidoscopes
Education
2009 Masters of Visual Art, Monash, deferred
1993-1996 Bachelor Fine Art Sculpture, VCA
Publications
2021, https://labs.acmi.net.au/stelarc-lockdown-and-the-obsolete-body-8f6d05d22d22
Links
2020, https://www.mcclellandgallery.com/current-exhibitions/
2020, https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=673911
2019, http://mattolucas.com/melbourne-art-review/big-small
2018, http://mattolucas.com/melbourne-art-review/house-party-a-group-exhibition
2017, https://documentor.com.au/portfolio/narinda-cook-wasted-2/
2005, http://unprojects.org.au/content/1.magazine/2.issues/1.issue-1-4/un1.4.pdf
Bibliography
Comte, Samantha, Best Practice, Exhibition catalogue, 2001
Comte, Samantha, 2000 Gertrude St Studio Artists Show, Exhibition catalogue
Comte, Samantha, Plasticinis Blobulis, exhibition catalogue, 2000
Comte, Samantha, Make It Yourself: Gertrude St Studio Artists 1999, Exhibition Catalogue, 1999
Cotching, Kate, Seleckta, Exhibition Catalogue, 2005
Gilbee, Tara ,The Space In Between, Exhibition catalogue, 2001
Maylon, Craig, Narinda Cook Essay, Art Right Now 2, Discovery Media, 2002
Nelson, Robert, Playful Pick of the Crop, THE AGE, August, 2003
Nelson, Robert, Greater Prestige for regions, THE AGE, 2001
Nelson, Robert, From Here to Eternity, and Make it Snappy, THE AGE, December 2000
Stanhope, Zara, Nine3, Narinda Cook and Paul Irving,Unmagazine, 2005
Walsh, Brecon, Construction in Process IV: The Bridge, Globe 1998