Tanya Chaitow is a painter who works with disruptive narrative and a lexicon of her own symbols. Through humour, fantasy and art history, her work becomes a personal odyssey with which to explore the human spirit and the fine distinction between fantasy and reality. Born in South Africa, Tanya Chaitow has an Honours degree in English literature and theatre from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. She immigrated in 1978, completing her Masters of Fine Arts at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales in 2007. Tanya Chaitow’s practice draws on her interest in the theatre, storytelling and the theatrical. In 2007 she completed a residency at the Cité of Paris and returned for a second residency in 2010 to undertake research into the arts of mime and theatre. Tanya Chaitow has been selected as a finalist in many prestigious art prizes on multiple occasions, the Dobell Prize for Drawing, the Blake Prize, the Mosman Art prize, the Salon des Refusees, the Fleurieu Art Prize, the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize, The Fishers Ghost Art Award, the Kedumba Drawing Prize and the Stanthorpe Art Prize. Since graduation Tanya Chaitow has exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions. She has been represented by Stella Downer Fine Arts Gallery since 2004, and recently by Anthea Polson in Queensland.
2010 Residency at the Cite International des Arts Paris, France
2007 Residency at the Cite International des Arts Paris, France April – June
Masters of Fine Art, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney
2006 Worked with the Bell Shakespeare Company during rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet
2003 New York Studio School Painting Marathon, Adelaide School of Art, Adelaide
2001 New York Studio School Painting Marathon, Adelaide School of Art, Adelaide
1998 Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, Sydney
1991 Diploma Fine Arts, Meadowbank TAFE, Sydney
1988-90 Ass. Diploma Fine Art, Meadowbank TAFE, Sydney
1979 Diploma of Education, Kuringai College of Advanced Education, NSW
1978 Bachelor Drama with Honours, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
2023 Telling Tales, Woollahra Gallery, Sydney
2022 The Whisper of the Tiger’s Tale, Anthea Polson Art, Qld
2022 The Tiger Chronicles, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2020 Living in the past presently, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2019 In dreams I wake, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2016 A cup of sea to sail, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2014 Moonlighting with Ai WeiWei, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2013 Moon Days, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2011 Battle for the day before, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2008 There’s A Moose In The Stairwell, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2007 Nothing Personal, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
Master of Fine Art Exhibition, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, Sydney
2001 Cumulus, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
2000 Jumprope, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
2023 Kedumba Drawing Prize – Finalist
2023 Through Our Eyes, Broadhurst Gallery, Hazlehurst Art Centre, Gymea
2023 Through The Eyes Of Strangers, Neram Art Gallery, Armidale
2022 Through Our Eyes, Incinerator Art Space, Willoughby
2021 Hazelhurst Art on Paper, Hazelhurst Art Centre, Gymea
2021 Dark Moments, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney. Group show
2019 Anthea Polson Art, Qld. Christmas Exhibition
2019 Lethbridge 20 000 Small Scale Art Award, Lethbridge Gallery, Qld – Finalist
2019 Golden Moon: 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2019 Dobell Drawing Prize, National Art School, Sydney – Finalist
2018 Group show, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney.
2018 Anthea Polson Art, Qld. Christmas Exhibition
2018 A.K. Bellinger, Inverell, Christmas Show
2018 Mosman Art prize, Mosman Art Gallery – Finalist
2017 Adelaide Perry Drawing prize, Adelaide Perry Gallery – Finalist
2017 A Stellar Renaissance, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2016 Chippendale New World Art Prize, Ng Gallery, Chippendale – Finalist
2015 Kedumba Drawing Prize – Finalist
2015 Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, NSW
2015 Chippendale New World Art Prize, Ng Gallery, Chippendale – Finalist
2015 Gallery Artists, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2015 Lethbridge 10 000 Small Scale Art Award, Lethbridge Gallery, Qld – Finalist
2014 Gallery Artists, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2014 Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Prize Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney – Finalist
2013 Fishers Ghost Art Prize, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney – Finalist
2013 Blake Prize, College of Fine Arts, Sydney – Finalist
2013 Gallery Artists, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2013 The North Sydney Art Prize, Coal Loader Centre, Sydney – Finalist
2013 Zoologica, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2012 Fishers Ghost Art Prize, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney – Finalist
2012 Melbourne Art Fair, represented by Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2012 anim(us), Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2011 The Dobell Prize for Drawing, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney – Finalist
2011 Fleurieu Art Prize, Hardy’s Winery, McLaren Vale, SA – Finalist
2011 Waverly Woollahra Art Prize, Waverly Woollahra Art School, Sydney – Finalist
2011 Salon de Refusés, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney – Finalist
2011 The Papermill, Sydney
2010 The Dobell Prize for Drawing, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney – Finalist
2010 Melbourne Art Fair, represented by Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2010 Stanthorpe Art Festival, Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Qld
2010 Hunters Hill Art Prize, Sydney – Finalist
2009 The Dobell Prize for Drawing, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney – Finalist
2009 The Inaugural Blake Prize Directors Cut Exhibition, online exhibition
2009 Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney – Finalist
2009 Hunters Hill Art Prize, Sydney – Finalist
2007 Weill Rooms at the Cite International des Arts, Paris, France
2007 Willoughby Art Prize, Willoughby Council Chambers, Sydney – Finalist
2007 The 58th Blake Prize, National Art School Gallery, Sydney – Finalist
2006 Art on the Rocks, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Gallery (Highly commended)
2005 Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney – Finalist
2005 The Blake Prize, Sir Hermann Black Gallery, University of Sydney – Finalist
2004 Blake Prize, Sir Hermann Black Gallery, University of Sydney – Finalist
2004 Works on Paper, Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney
2004 Art on the Rocks, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Gallery
2004 Celebrating Ten Years, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
2002 Generation 2002, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
2002 New York Drawing Marathon, Adelaide
1999 Delicious: Showcase 1999, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
1999 New York Drawing Marathon, Adelaide
1999 Alumni Exhibition, Kudos Gallery, Sydney
1999 Willoughby Art Prize, Willoughby Council Chambers, Sydney – Finalist
1999 Hunters Hill Art Prize, Hunters Hill Town Hall, Sydney – Finalist
1998 Fishers Ghost Art Prize, Campbelltown City Art Gallery, Sydney – Finalist
1998 Waverley Woollahra Art Prize, Sydney (Highly Commended)
1998 Willoughby Art Prize, Willoughby Council Chambers, Sydney – Finalist
1998 Graduating Students Exhibition, College of Fine Arts Gallery
2020 Exploring, delighting & changing on East Side 89.7FM with Maisy Stapleton
2014 Moonlighting with Ai Weiwei, Tracey Clement Art Guide January/February
2013 Moon Days The Planner, Metro, Sydney Morning Herald. 6 December
Moon Days The Art Life, Sharne Wolff, 29 November
Michael Fitzgerald, ‘Open gallery’, Spectrum, The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 – 18 August
2012 ‘Zoologica’, etc, Sydney Morning Herald, 23 February 2012
Eleanor Pearson, ‘Arts ‘powerful whimsy’; Love of adopted Australian landscape inspires artist’s
work’, North Shore Times, 16 March, p.13
2011 Andrew Frost, ‘Animal Instincts’, Metro, Sydney Morning Herald, 15 April
Greg Doyle, Sydney Pundit ‘Tanya Chaitow @ Stella Downer Fine Art’
Danny Gocs, ‘Whimsical Artworks’, Artbeat, Australian Jewish News, 1 April
Hayley Morgan, ‘Tanya Chaitow, Battle for the day before’, TwoThousand 17 March
2010 Feature Artist, 15 July Kate Adams, ‘Tanya Chaitow’, Artist Profile, iss. 10, Summer
2009 John Mathews, ‘On the Dobell Prize 2009 @ AGNSW’, ArtKritique, 5 December
Christopher Allen, ‘Tumult captured on paper’, The Australian, 13 November
2008 Daniel Mudie Cunningham, Artnotes, Art Monthly, December – February
2007 Jo Higgins, Australian Art Collector, iss. 39, January – March
2007 The Planner, The SMH, March 3
2001 The Australian Jewish News, November
2000 The Australian Jewish News, July 7
1998 Craft Arts International no. 4
February 26, 2022 - March 13, 2022
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