“[Murray] has expressed a particularly unique approach to her medium using her materials in ways that evidence creativity, originality and a refined eye for composition and form. The end result is a series of sculptures that exhibit elegance and beauty despite the contemporary - and arguably industrial - materials with which they are made.”

— Judge Kym Elphinstone, Director [art]iculate - 2011 Women on Boards Art Prize

About, BIO & CV

Since finishing her BFA (Hons) National Art School (2010), Murray has worked predominantly in an installation-based cross-disciplinary arts practice, continuing her explorations of place and identity. Her attention to form, site and materials relate to, and are often a reaction against, her previous thirty-year career as a practising architect.

Beyond a form’s materiality or permanence, she is interested in its ability to communicate ideas. Her past work negotiates the thorny topics on the news: (un) natural environments, human rights, climate change, unsustainable energy, continues in collaboration with Mandy Burgess. Most recently Murray has been working on relief printing on pianola rolls, to explore stories and places. Her work uses the scroll form as a journey with geographic landmarks from topographic maps and journals.

Selected Exhibitions - Solo
2024 A Brief Statement of Facts, Canberra Art Biennial, Bouddi Peninsular Art Trail Killcare 2022 Lost Song Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Fallen Forest collaboration Murray and Burgess
Fallen Forest Contour556 Canberra, National Arboretum collaboration Murray and Burgess
2021 Blue//Blue//Black//Black//Blue Articulate Project Space Leichhardt
Red//Red//Blue//Blue//Red. Factory 49 Marrickville
2020 RedRed BlackBlack BlackBlack Blue Five Walls Footscray Melbourne
#fuelled SLOT Window Space Waterloo
Every Time the Sun Comes Up AIRspace Projects Marrickville
Tipping Point Factory 49 Marrickville, Murray and Burgess
2019 Black Vertical and Red Horizontal Factory 49 Marrickville
SORT IT OUT, collaboration with Burgess Factory49 Marrickville
2018 #hazelwood #yallourn Factory 49 Marrickville
A-four to A-zero Factory 49 Marrickville
2017 Cove Cliffs and Creeks Willoughby Council Foyer
2016 homesweethome - collaboration with Mandy Burgess, Chrissie Cotter Gallery, Camperdown
2015 Extreme Fire Warning, Montsalvat Melbourne
2013 Once, Jean Bellette Gallery, Hill End
2012 Nurture, Incinerator Art Space, Willoughby

Commissioned Work
2020 Project Ugly Billboard InnerWest Council and Look Print Leichhardt
2018 Project Ugly Billboard InnerWest Council and Look Print Leichhardt
2017 Art for the Planet Ambush Gallery, Darling Quarter
2017 Willoughby City Council Foyer WVAB
Art on the Greenway, Inner West Council, in collaboration with Mandy Burgess
2016 Art on The GreenWay as part of LOST by Leichhardt Council
2013 Middle Head: 33 deg 50’ S, 151 deg 14’ E, Mosman Art Gallery Cementa13 Contemporary Arts Festival, Kandos (AIT)

Selected Residencies
2019 BigCi Bilpin
2017 Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, RPA Camperdown
2016 RPA Hospital Camperdown
2015 BigCi Bilpin
2014 Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, RPA
2014 NANA Contemporary Art Newcastle
2013 Hill End Bathurst Regional Gallery
2013 Ambush Gallery, Waterloo

Education
2010 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons), National Art School
1976 Bachelor of Architecture (Hons), University of NSW

Collaborations
2015-current Collaboration Murray and Burgess
2012-15 Artists in Transit Murray and Langley

Selected recent prizes and awards
2024
Canberra Art Biennial
North Sydney Art Prize collaboration Murray and Burgess

2023
Sustainability Award Eden Unearthed, Macquarie Park, collaboration Murray and Burgess

2022
CREATE NSW Grant collaboration Murray and Burgess
North Sydney Art Prize

2020
contour556 Canberra collaboration Murray and Burgess
Fishers Ghost Art Prize Campbelltown Arts Centre
Sculpture at Scenic World
North Sydney Art Prize

2019
Selected Fishers Ghost Art Prize Campbelltown Art Centre
Selected Hidden Sculpture Walk collaboration with Mandy Burgess
Selected Sculpture at Scenic World
Selected North Sydney Art Prize

2018
Selected Grace Cossington Smith Art Award
Selected Blacktown City Art Prize
Finalist Marie Ellis prize for Drawing
Finalist Swan Hill Print and Drawing Prize
Finalist Wyndham Art Prize
Finalist Sculpture at Scenic World collaboration with Mandy Burgess
Finalist Sculpture Other Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Katoomba

2017
Finalist - North Sydney Art Prize - The Coal Loader Balls Head, solo and collaboration with Mandy Burgess
Finalist - Harbour Sculpture Hunters Hill, solo and collaboration with Mandy Burgess
Finalist - Home Grown: The Urban Landscape Willoughby Visual Arts Biennial

2016
Finalist - Sculpture in the Vineyards Wollombi
Finalist - Blacktown Art Prize
Finalist - Meroogal Womens Art Prize, collaboration with Mandy Burgess
Won - Emerging Artist Prize Sculpture at Sawmillers, McMahons Point
Finalist - Sculpture at Killalea Shell Harbour - collaboration with Mandy Burgess
Finalist - Sculpture on the Greens, Wyong
Highly Commended - Sculpture Walk Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden

2015
Highly Commended - Blacktown City Art Prize Finalist –Sculpture In the Vineyards Wollombi
Finalist- Fishers Ghost Art Prize Campbelltown Art Centre
Finalist –Hidden Rookwood Cemetery Sculpture Walk
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize
Finalist – Harbour Sculpture Woolwich
Highly Commended – Sculpture on the Greens Wyong

2014
Finalist – Blacktown City Art Prize
Finalist – Chippendale New World Art Prize
Finalist – Harbour Sculpture, Woolwich
Finalist – Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing
Finalist – Sculpture at Sawmillers, McMahons Point

2013
Winner – Blacktown City Art Prize, Environmental Art Prize
Highly Commended – Harbour Sculpture, Woolwich
Highly Commended – Muswellbrook Art Prize, Muswellbrook Regional Arts
Finalist – Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Art Centre
Finalist – Harbour Sculpture, Woolwich
Finalist – Hunters Hill Art Prize
Finalist – In Situ 2013: Mosman Festival of Sculpture and Installation
Finalist – North Sydney Art Prize, Coal Loader Site
Finalist – Sculptures in the Vineyards, Wollombi
Finalist – Sculptures on the Greens, Wyong
Finalist – Willoughby Art Prize

2012
Winner – Blacktown City Art Prize, Works on Paper
Winner – Sculptures in the Gaol, Trial Bay
Finalist – Blacktown City Art Prize, Sculpture Prize
Finalist – Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize, Chrissie Cotter Gallery
Finalist – Sculpture on the Greens, Wyong
Finalist – Sculptures in the Vineyard, Wollombi
Finalist – UWS Sculpture Award, Campbelltown