The Bands All Here, Animal Offerings, 2010

Camille Serisier is an interdisciplinary artist who investigates the distanced relationship of humans to the natural environment. Using narrative methods and materials she explores differing representations of nature in Australian culture, such as in theatre, early childhood education and mythology. As a result, her work incorporates a variety of disciplines including photography, drawing, painting, performance, and sculpture. Through these visual translations Serisier studies the cultural heritage that informs our current relationship to naturally occurring elements and forces.

Serisier was born in Wollongong in 1982. She grew up in Sydney where she worked as an artist assistant for her cousin, David Serisier, and attended drawing classes at the Julian Ashton Art School and the National Art School.

On leaving school in 1999 Serisier was awarded a National Undergraduate Scholarship from the Australian National University (ANU) for an undergraduate degree with honours. While completing her undergraduate studies, she received the Vera List Travelling Scholarship for a semester of study at the New York Studio School where she studied painting and drawing. This was accompanied by a drawing tour of the Italian Masters in Italy. In 2004 she graduated from ANU with First Class Honours and the Neil Roberts Sculpture prize, awarded to the most outstanding sculpture student in the graduating class.

Serisier then moved to Victoria and began exhibiting at Artist Run Initiatives in Melbourne, Newcastle, Canberra and Sydney. She also curated shows and investigated different collaborative models of practice by working at Uplands/TCB and engaging with Clubs Projects feedback sessions. During this period she also worked as an artist assistant for Louisa Bufardeci and Raquel Ormella at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA). At the same time, she underwent further training as a theatrical painter at Scenic Studios, the largest scenic company in the southern hemisphere. There she learnt traditional painting methods and theatrical techniques working on stage projects for productions like the Lion King and the Australian Ballet review.

In 2007, after showing at Firstdraft Gallery, Serisier moved to Sydney and joined their board of Directors. At the same time she worked as a scenic painter for Opera Australia in their Surry Hills studio. During 2008, she became a founding member of the Free Association, a robust Artist Run Initiative dedicated to critical dialogue and consideration in the visual arts. During this period she maintained a thorough exhibition schedule, showing at Artist Run Initiatives including MOP Projects in Sydney and Bus in Melbourne, as well as festivals like Sydney’s Art and About.

While in Sydney Serisier also started working for a private collector and valuer, Amanda Love Art. Through this position she was exposed to a wealth of international contemporary art that provided fabulous research for her studio practice. She also learnt valuable collection management skills, which she utilised with the assistance of a NAVA marketing grant to create a website for her work.

In 2009, Serisier continued her east coast tour, moving to Brisbane. She currently lives in Brisbane and subsidises her practice by working in the collections department of Griffith Artworks at the Queensland College of Art. Her work is held in private collections around the country and she continues to show in solo and collaborative projects in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.