
Biography
Paul Kalemba. Born 1980. MEL. AU
Paul Kalemba is a first generation Australian artist with a broad and inquisitive practice ranging from painting, photography and video to sculpture, assemblage and intervention.
Paul’s work often combines in-situ documentation and collected objects to recreate memories and ethereal perceptions in responses to transcendental experiences within nature and with objects.
Paul’s practice employs many traditional and contemporary processes, often in combination, as it muses on the discordant knowledge presented by natural science, myth and phenomena while telling stories of ecologies and place.
Since graduating with Honours in Digital art and Multimedia from Victoria University in 2001 and Master of Visual Art at Victorian College of the Arts in 2008 , Paul has exhibited in Australia, Korea, Germany, Finland and Iceland. He has been a finalist in the Paul Guest Prize at The Bendigo Art Gallery , The Nillubik Award at Montsalvat, The Banjule Award for Works on Paper, The Wyndham Art Award and the National Still Life award at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery. In 2018 he was the recipient of the Hume Art Award.
Paul has undertaken cross disciplinary projects with Parks Victoria and The Department of Primary Industries, and received project funding form The Australia Council for the Arts, City of Melbourne, Nillumbik Shire, Hepburn Shire and the Kone Foundation.
He has attended several residencies at SIM with The Icelandic Association for the Visual Arts in 2018 and 2019, and was awarded the Riverbend Residency from Nillubik shire in 2011 and the Saari Residence from the Kone Foundation in 2019.
Paul has produced temporary public artworks for The Kone Foundation, City of Melbourne, Hepburn Shire, and permanent public artwork for the City of Hume and Satterly Development. His drawings, sculpture and mural work have been acquired by Nillumbik shire, Hume City Council and Victoria University.
EDUCATION.
2008 Master of Visual Art. Melbourne University,
Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne.
2007 Post Graduate Diploma in Visual Art. Melbourne University,
Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne.
2001 Honors, Digital Art and Multimedia. Victoria University, Melbourne
2000 B.A. Computer Mediated Art, Victoria University, Melbourne.
AWARDS
2024 SWELL Small Sculpture Award. Finalist.
2019 Wyndham Art Award. Finalist.
Banjule Award for works on paper. Finalist
2018 Hume Art Award. 1st. Prize.
Paul Guest Drawing Prize. Bendigo Art Gallery. Finalist.
Still; National Still-Life Award. Coffs Harbor Regional Gallery. Finalist
2017 The NHMRC Science to Art Award. Finalist
Banyule Award for Works on Paper. Finalist.
The Nillumbik Prize.
Finalist.
Wyndham Art Award. Finalist.
2013 Wetland Care Australia Art Award.
Second Prize.
2012 M16 Drawing Prize. Canberra. Finalist.
RESIDENCIES
2019 Koneen Säätiö; Saari Residency, Finland
SIM (Association of Icelandic Visual Artist) Iceland Residency.
2018 SIM Residency, (Association of Icelandic Visual Artist) Iceland
2011 Laughing Waters Artist-in-Residence Program. Riverbend. Eltham. AU
GRANTS / COMMISSIONS
2024 ‘Kalkallo North Public Sculpture Commission. City of Hume
2023 ‘Hume Mural Commission’. City of Hume.
2020 ’ Art in the time of Covid -19 Commission’ . Nillumbik Shire
‘True North Public Art Commission’. Atkin hill. Victoria
2019 ‘Temporary Public Artwork Commission. KONE Foundation,
‘Landvaettir in the Anthropocence.’ Working Grant. KONE Foundation
2016 ‘Main St Redevelopment Project’, Nillumbik Shire Council
2015 ‘Daylesford Laneway Commission.’ Hepburn Shire Council
2014 ‘Let Them Eat Cake Sculpture Commission’. Werribee Mansion
‘Living sculpture commission’. CERES Environment Park
2012 ‘Living Sculpture Commission’. Huttenpalast Hotel. Berlin
2011 ‘Artstart.’ Professional Development. Australia Council for the Arts,
2003 ‘City of Melbourne; Major Project Grant.’ Alleys not Telleys, Multiarts Event
COLLECTIONS.
Kone Foundation.
Nillumbik Shire
Wetland Care Australia
Victoria University
City of Hume
Australian Forest and Climate Alliance
Centre for Environmental Research, Education and Sustainability
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Sticks and Stones (V2.0) Town Hall Broadmeadows, Melbourne. AU
2022 Sticks and Stones. Airspace Projects, Sydney, AU
2018 Notes for the Weltgeist. Kosminen Artspace, Helsinki, FI
Some Things Cannot Be Undone. Rubicon ARI. Melbourne.
Subjective Objective. Trocadero Art Space. Melbourne
2017 Masks &Totems. Gee Lee Wik Doleen Gallery, Hume Global Learning Centre
2012 Der Junge aus der Dose (Boy Out of a Can). Hutenpalast. Berlin, DE
2010 Spoiled Rotten. Platform Public Contemporary Art Spaces. Melbourne
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Swell, Small Sculpture Award, Gold Coast Au
2022 The General Public, 99% Gallery. Melbourne
Victoria St Victoria, Wanding Room. Melbourne
2021 Every Artist Ever, Stockroom, Kyneton.
Art in the Time of Covid-19. Monsalvat Art Centre, Melbourne
Antipodes. Beinart Gallery, Melbourne
Summer Salon. Centre For Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2020 Asemblage Theory; Circling the Compass. Royal Park. Melbourne
2019
Enough Light to Navigate. Sim House. Reykjavik. Iceland.
Koneen Säätiö, Open Day. KONE Foundation. Finland
Wyndham Art Award. Wyndham Cultural Centre.
Banjule Award For Works on Paper. Hatch Contemporary Art Space.
2018
Paul Guest Prize. Bendigo Art Gallery. Bendigo Victoria.
The Hume Art Award. Boilerhouse Gallery. Melbourne
Flock and Fold. Icelandic Association for the Visual Arts. Reykjavik, Iceland.
2CDHKM2NPS. SIM Gallery. Reykjavik, Iceland.
Still; National Still-Life Award. Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery.
2017
The NHMRC Science to Art Award. St Vincents Public Gallery.
Banyule Award for Works on Paper. Hatch Contemporary Art Space.
The Nillumbik Prize. Montsalvat Gallery. Eltham.
Wyndham Art Award, Wyndham Cultural Centre, Werribee.
Mixed Tape, Stockroom, Kyneton.
2016
Fragments, Bakery Lane Gallery, Woodend.
Linden Postcard Show. Linden New Art. St Kilda. Melbourne.
Symbiogenisis Mural, Nillumbik Shire Council. Main St Redevelopment Eltham.
Laughing Waters Rd. The Barn Gallery, Monsilvat. Eltham.
2015.
The Resistance of Memory, Tales of Daylesford. Daylesford Town Hall. Hepburn.
Thyme for Change. Let Them Eat Cake Festival, Werribee Mansion.
2014.
Tree. Dromkeen. Riddels Creek. Victoria.
Activist Arts Festival. Trades Hall. Melbourne.
A Matter of Thyme. Falls Festival/ Village Stage. Lorne.Victoria.
2013
Outpost. Daylesford Post office. Daylesford. Victoria
Station Master. Brunswick station. MoreArts. Melbourne.
LAND. Wyndham Cultural Centre. Melbourne.
Weld Echo, The Long Gallery. Hobart.
Wetland Care Australia Award. Sydney.
2012
M16 Drawing prize. Canberra. M16 Artspace. Canberra.
The Symbiogenisis Project. Eltham Library. Melbourne.
The Artists Behind the Action. Collingwood Gallery. Melbourne.
The Boy Out of a Can. Hutenpalast. Berlin. Germany.
2011
The Symbiogenisis Project. “Laughing waters” The Melbourne Library. Melbourne.
Northside Heros, Tinning Street Gallery. Melbourne.
2010
Spoiled Rotten. Platform Public Contemporary Art Spaces. Melbourne
Feasting Vignettes. Melbourne Food and Wine Festival / Platform Underground garden, Melbourne.
Sustainability: Crisis or Opportunity, George Paton Gallery, Carlton.
The Sustainable Living Festival, Federation Square, Melbourne
The Resistance of Memory, Platform Public Contemporary Art Spaces. Melbourne
Linden Postcard Exhibition, Linden Contemporary Art Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne.
2009
Off The Wall, Brunswick Bound, Brunswick, Melbourne
Post. Place Gallery, Richmond
Resisting Subversion of Subversive Resistance. Platform Artist Group. Inc. Flinders Street Station underpass, Melbourne.
The Art of Sustainable Gardening, Bollin Bollin Gallery, Bulleen, Melbourne.
2008
Diorama December, Brunswick Bound Gallery, Brunswick, Melbourne.
VCA Graduate Exhibition, VCA Margaret Lawrence Gallery, South Melbourne
Exquisite Features, Tapespace, Carlton, Melbourne.
Beneath The Empire, Upstairs- Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne.
Linden Postcard Exhibition, Linden Contemporary Art Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne.
2007
VCA Graduate Exhibition, VCA Margaret Lawrence Gallery, South Melbourne.
Proud, VCA Margaret Lawrence Gallery, South Melbourne.
Sketchbooks: A Group Show. Brunswick Bound Gallery, Brunswick, Melbourne
A Disparate Collection, VCA Student Gallery, South Melbourne.
2006
Breakdown Press, Breakdown Posters Launch, A Space Outside, Abbotsford, Melbourne.
Art For Food! Lentil as Africa, Bar/ Café/ Gallery, Brunswick, Melbourne.
Random Molecules, Kick Gallery, Northcote, Melbourne.
2005
Babylonian Pandemonium, Black Cat, Melbourne.
Linden Postcard Exhibition, Linden Contemporary Art Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne.
2004
National Print Symposium, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
The Conceptual Reconstruction of Brunswick, Counihan Gallery, Brunswick, Melbourne.
Scarab window; street projections project, Black Cat/ Sutton Gallery. Fitzroy, Melbourne.
Eyes for Other Skies, Australian Center for the Moving Image, Melbourne.
Eyes For Other Skies – best of, Seoul Fringe festival, Korea
Nikon Summer Salon, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Fitzroy Melbourne.
Empty Show. abandoned space. Fitzroy Melbourne.
2003
Empty Show. abandoned space. Newcastle
disenta. . . , Irene Community Art Centre, Brunswick, Melbourne.
Melbourne Stencil Festival, Nth Melbourne.
Nikon Summer Salon, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Fitzroy, Melbourne.
2002
With Only The Clothes On Their Backs, Refugee Benefit/ Art Auction, Dantes Upstairs, Fitzroy Melbourne.
windows, Scott Alley, Melbourne.
Nikon Summer Salon, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Fitzroy Melbourne.
“@”, Steps Gallery, Carlton Melbourne.
2001
On exit frame, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Melbourne.
Nikon Summer Salon, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
2016 Laughing Waters Road: Art, Landscape and Memory in Eltham. Jane Wollard. 2016 p38,39,239-241.
2015 Public Art Creates Discussion. The Advocate. January 16. P1
2014 Art commission for Daylesford laneway, The Advocate. July 29. P1
2010 Feast your eyes on this, Rachelle Unreich, The Age. March 14,
2009 Building an Australasian Commons, Rachel Cobcroft, Queensland University of Technology Press. 2009 p103
Resisting Subversion of Subversive Resistance, Leon Goh, Un Magazine. July 2009, P74.
2008 Beneath the Empire, Lucy Elliot, Melbourne City Voice, 24 April 2008, P14
Art Matters, Lucy Elliot, Melbourne City Voice ,8 May 2008, P23.
2007 Spotlight on Student’s Art. Melissa Buttigieg, Fairfax Community Network; Sunbury Telegraph, 27 November, P6.
2006 Breakdown Posters, Tom Sevil, Breakdown Press, P3, 18.
2004 The Undergrowth. Tim Parish, Undergrowth. 30 July. P1, 26,29.
2002 February .02, Centre for Contemporary Photography. P3
2000 Hi-tech form focus, Ted Kloszynski, The Advocate, 21 November. P1.
TRAINING, WORKSHOPS & TUITION.
2018. Bendigo Art Gallery. Paul Guest Prize, Public Program. Still Life Totems Workshops.
2017. Monash University. Caulfield.Technical Officer: Technician for Art Design and Architecture
2017. Hume Global Learning Centre. Still-Life Workshop Series.
2015. Daylesford Life Drawing. Facilitator and Tutor.
2014. Arthouse Direct. Dynamic Drawing and Watercolour short Courses.
2013. Melbourne High school. Workshop Facilitator. Advanced Animation & Games Design..
2011-2012 Caulfield Grammar. Workshop Facilitator. Introduction to Film Making and Animation.
2011. Nillumbik Shire Council. Workshop Facilitator. Art of Ecology. Eltham, VIC
2011. Outback Theatre for Young People.Workshop Facilitator. Pop-art, Street art and Stencils. Hay, NSW.