Design and Art Australia Online

Fiona Murphy is a contemporary ceramic artist. She creates organic handbuilt forms based on movement and the meeting between the natural and constructed worlds.
In 1976 she studied at Box Hill Technical College before completing a Diploma of Art and Design at Victoria College in 1980. In 1985 Murphy received a Graduate Diploma in Fine Art from the Phillip Institute of Technology and in 1993 she received a Graduate Diploma in Education from the Melbourne Institute of Art, Victoria. In 2007 Murphy completed a Masters of Fine Art at Monash University in Victoria.
Since 1981 Murphy has exhibited in many exhibition, including solo shows at Christine Abrahams Gallery, Brian Moore Gallery, Macquarie Galleries and Distelfink Gallery.
In 2005 Murphy won the City of Hobart Art Prize and received an Arts Faculty Scholarship from Monash University, Victoria and in 2004 she won Second Prize in the Yering Sculpture Award. She has, on six occasions (2001, 1997, 1995, 1989, 1986, 1983), received a grant from the Visual Art and Craft Board of the Australia Council; she has won the Australia Day – Myer Ceramic Award at the Shepparton Art Gallery three times (1996, 1993, 1992) and in 2000 she received an Arts Victoria Grant. In 1995 Murphy won the Bathurst Regional Art Award; in 1992 she won the Diamond Valley Art Award; in 1988 she won the Bicentennial Women’s Art Award in Melbourne and in 1980 she received the Ceramic Award of Excellence from Victoria College in Melbourne.

Murphy has completed commissions for Crown Casino in Melbourne, Avila College in Melbourne, Ruyton Girls School in Melbourne, the City of Hamilton, Shepparton Art Gallery and Benalla Mural Garden. Her work is represented in the collections of Artbank; National Gallery of Australia; National Gallery of Victoria; Art Gallery of Western Australia; Geelong Art Gallery; Manly Art Gallery; Bathurst Art Gallery; Rockhampton Art Gallery; Shepparton Art Gallery; Victorian State Craft Collection; Centre Gallery, Gold Coast; Diamond Valley Art Collection; Hamilton Art Gallery; Queensland University of Technology; Art Gallery of South Australia; Power House Museum; Art Gallery of Queensland; as well as private collections in Australia, Asia, USA and Europe.

Writers:

Stella Downer

Date written:

2007

Last updated:

2011