Lisa Waup is a mixed-cultural First Nations artist and curator, born in Narrm (Melbourne), whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses a diverse range of media, including weaving, printmaking, photography, sculpture, fashion, and digital art. With a deep connection to the symbolic power of materials, her work reflects her personal experiences, family history, Country, and broader historical narratives.
Through her practice, Waup weaves together threads of lost history, ancestral relationships, motherhood, and the passage of time, culminating in contemporary expressions that speak to her past, present, and future. In her words, "As a multidisciplinary artist, I'm guided to utilize so many different mediums—they really talk to me—and in turn they're able to explain my story in different ways, they all connect with each other. Material diversity is a big part of what I do in my practice—I'm happy to move across various media and am always open to exploring new materials and approaches that connect to the work I am making at the time."
CV
Education
2020-2021 Masters of Contemporary Art, University of Melbourne, Southbank
1993-1995 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Narrm
1989-1990 Advanced Certificate of Art and Design, Chisholm Institute, Narrm
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Imprinted, Mars Gallery, Windsor, Narrm
2019 Carry Me Softly, Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda
2018 Finding Place, ReDot Gallery, Singapore
2012 A Journeys Edge, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
Group Exhibitions
2023 Current McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery
2023 New Exuberance: Contemporary Australian Textile Design, Jam Factory, Tarntanya
2023 Paul Selzer Exhibition and Award, Fiona and Sidney Myer Gallery, VCA, Narrm. Recipient Winner.
2023 Melbourne Now, NGV
2022 Front Beach Back Beach, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Narrm
2022 Christmas Group Exhibition_2022, Mars Gallery, Windsor, Narrm
2022 Front Beach Back Beach, seaing-Country, Mornington Peninsula
2022 Gertrude Studios 2022, Preston, Narrm
2022 Adopted, The Dax Centre, Narrm
2022 National Works on Paper, finalist, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington
2022 earth:Country - from the ground to the sky (Curator), Tangentyere Artists, 16th Australian Ceramics Triennale, Mparntwe, Alice Springs
2022 DIGS, Project8, Narrm
2022 Barring – Nganjin Our Path Our Journey, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2022 Schmuck 2022, Munich
2022 Mass Reduction, Australian Tapestry Workshop, South Narrm
2022 Uniform, Wyndham Art Gallery, Werribee, Narrm
2022 Victorian Craft Awards, Narrm
2022 Narrm Design Fair, Abbotsford, Narrm
2022 Exposure Site, Gertrude Glasshouse, Collingwood, Narrm
2021 REDIRECTED, Graduate Show, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Victorian College of the Arts, Narrm
2021 Shaped, Craft, Narrm
2021 Deadly Decade, Blak Dot Gallery, Brunswick, Narrm
2021 Wall Drawings, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, Victoria
2021 Blak Jewellery Finding Past Linking Present, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2021 Elemental – Craft Victoria, Narrm
2021 From Where I Stand #3 – Masters of Contemporary art 2nd Year Exhibition
2021 The McClelland Collection: 50 Years, McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery, Langwarrin, Victoria
2021 A World of One’s Own, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, Victoria
2021 Deadly Narratives: Recent Collection Highlights, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2021 Mirteetch Meering – Sea Country, Warrnambool Art Gallery, Victoria
2021 Looking Through Time: Basketry from the TAMA Collection, Ararat Gallery, Victoria
2021 Schmuck 2021 – Klimt02, Online, Munich
2021 Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion, National Museum of Australia, Canberra
2020 National Works on Paper, finalist, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Victoria
2020 Blakdot Gallery, Existing on Two Planes, Brunswick, (Narrm Fringe)
2020 Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria
Group exhibitions cont.
2020 National Indigenous Fashion Awards, finalist, Cultural Adornment and Wearable Art, Darwin
2020 MPRG: FIFTY, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, Victoria
2020 Toad Busting, B O T T O M Arts Gallery, Collingwood (Narrm Design Week)
2020 Elergy, Gallery Funaki, Narrm (Narrm Design Week)
2020 Reflecting Country, Recognising Self, Flinders Lane Gallery, Narrm
2019 Everywhen Gallery, Flinders, Narrm
2019 Victorian Craft Award Finalist, Craft, Narrm
2019 The Alchemists (Weaving Knowledge), FORM, Western Australia
2019 InCahoots, Touring Exhibition till 2021, Martumili Artists Gallery, Bunbury, Townsville, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
2019 Place Makers, Australian Tapestry Workshop, South Narrm
2019 Open Door (Curator, Artist), Craft, Narrm
2019 Serial, McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, Langwarrin
2019 Playing with Matches, Incinerator Gallery, Moonee Ponds
2019 Narrm Fashion Week, Eureka Tower, Narrm
2019 Country to Couture, DAAFF, Darwin
2019 They Shield Us, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2019 Stolen/ Wealth, Wynhdam Art Gallery, Werribee
2019 Indigenous Design Exhibition, Parliament House, Canberra
2019 Earth Bound, In Flight: ceramic artists of Baluk Arts, Shepparton Art Museum, Shepparton
2019 Elements (Curator), Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda
2018 Koorie Art Show, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2018 Hong Kong Business of Design Week, First Nations Fashion, Malloy Street, Hong Kong
2018 Sea HER Land - Craft Forward (Curator and Artist), Craft Victoria, Narrm
2018 Global Indigenous Runway (Independent), Narrm Fashion Week, Narrm
2018 Too-roo-dun (Bunyip Exhibition) Curator & Artist, 45 Downstairs, Flinders Lane; and Bunjil Place, Narre Warren
2018 NATSIA Award Finalist, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
2018 Badjurr-Baluk (Curator), ReDot Gallery, Singapore
2018 A Lightness of Spirit is the Measure of Happiness, Australian Center for Contemporary Art, Narrm
2018 Sea HER Land (Curator and Artist), Benalla Art Gallery, Benalla, NAIDOC Week
2018 Unpeeling Perceptions, Mayfair Gallery, Darwin (Residency and Exhibition)
2017 Womens Show, Vivien Anderson Gallery, St Kilda
2017 Koorie Art Show, Finalist, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2017 Intertwined, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2017 Weaving Country, Footscray Community Art Centre, Footscray
2017 Tarnanthi, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
2017 In Cahoots, Fremantle Art Centre, Western Australia
2017 NATSIA Award Finalist, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
2017 Victorian Craft Award Finalist, Craft, Narrm
2017 Global Indigenous Runway (Independent) , Narrm Fashion Week, Narrm
2017 Virgin Australia Narrm Fashion Festival, Narrm
2017 Lisa Waup X Verner, Craft Window Space, Narrm
2016 Substation Contemporary Art Prize Finalist, Substation, Newport
2016 NATSIA Award Finalist, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
2016 Hero Worship, Craft Victoria, Narrm
2015 Koorie Art Show, Finalist, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2015 Victorian Indigenous Art Award Finalist, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat
2015 Victorian Craft Award Finalist, Craft, Narrm
2014 Threaded Journey, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2014 National Works on Paper Award, Highly Commended, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington
2014 Victorian Indigenous Arts Awards, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat
2014 From Where I Stand: Place, Culture & Politics, Bunjilaka Narrm Museum, Narrm
2013 Koorie Art Show, Finalist, Koorie Heritage Trust, Narrm
2013 Melbourne Now National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria, Narrm
Acquisitions and Collections:
2022 Deakin University
2021 Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery (Donation)
2020 Bendigo Art Gallery
2020 Warrnambool Art Gallery
2020 Ararat Gallery TAMA (Textile Art Museum Australia)
2020 National Gallery of Victoria
2019 McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery
2019 Bayside City Council
2019 Koorie Heritage Trust
2016 Kingston City Council
2015 Koorie Heritage Trust
2015 Bayside City Council
2014 Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery
2013 National Gallery of Victoria
Lisa Waup
Artist Lisa Waup shows Namila Benson how she uses natural and found objects to tell stories with her multidisciplinary practice. #ArtWorksTV Subscribe now: http://ab.co/subscribe
Contact
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like chat about working together!