Regina born in Singapore, now living
in Australia, working from her studio home with her husband and three children.
She has studied and taught art and music in Singapore, Italy, the U.S. and Australia.
Biography
Regina has had several one-person exhibitions in New York, and Australia, and
has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Chicago, New York, London, Australia
and Europe, including the 2001 Florence Biennale. She has twice won the Perpetual
Trophy, was selected Overall Winner for the Western Australia Society of Arts,
and has been a recipient of two Australian Visual Arts Grants.
"
My work has overtones of naive painting, but I've been very strongly influenced
by my background, interests, and education. There are references to early Italian
Renaissance painting (things I saw in Capri, Naples, and later in visits to Florence.)
I enjoy the iconic quality to work from that period, also the frequent focus on
women.
There
are several painters who have influenced me: Murillo (the subject matter resonates
, Ken Kiff (British, for his narrative quality), and Charles Blackman (Australian
figurative painter.) Still, when all's said and done, my style is very personal.
I paint instinctively, and my work draws on personal experience and observation,
or at least memories, sometimes treasured up since childhood.
There are also references to Mughal art (flat surfaces, bright colors, cloisonne,
strange skin colors.) , I live in Australia (25 years), and travel frequently
to the USA and Europe ".
- Renee
Phillips, Art Critic, New York May 2002. -
" Regina Noakes weaves visual delights of music and dance. A terrain of smooth,
undulating human forms resembles and interweaves with nature. Their lyrical shapes
echo one another in sublime harmony. For instance, sinewy branches of a tree are
analogous to long limbs that curl around a belly or stretch upward toward the
sky. The artist is an observer of human nature and the language of the body. Rhythmic
compositions of strong colors and bold contrast unfold the ebb and flow of the
exuberant figure releasing a feeling of nervous tension. The artist is an engaging
storyteller. Her enchanted world evokes an essential underlying profound reality
that questions issues of morality, love, security, and faith. Her dramas raise
questions and curiosity that provide passages in which to seek our individual
answers ".
" Viewing life as an aesthetic experience, Regina
translates memories and observations onto her canvases. There are stories behind
most of these paintings, and drama in the universals of companionship, love, age
and acquiescence. A quiet sadness, even an air if gravity, sometimes occupies
her figures, yet others exhibit light and joy. Several of her large - scale figurative
paintings have references to herself and to her daughter. A point of focus sometimes
is the Doll, as a repository and reflection of human experiences, sometimes almost
human, and more besides. In a unique, figurative style that is poetic, spiritual
and sometimes quirky, Regina relies on the contribution of the viewer to translate
each work into his or her own personal account ".
Major exhibitions
2003 the prestigious Palazzo Vecchio, Florence 2004 the Associazione Cultural
Mostre, Palazzo Correr Venice, London, New York
AWARDS: Lorenzo Medici
Gold Medal, City of Florence, Italy; Australian Visual Arts Grants – Awarded three
times; The Healing Power of Art - Showcase artist, The Winner 2003 New York, USA;
Rotary Club of Armadale, Western Australia - 2002 Award for Outstanding Performance;
Arts Manhattan Exhibition, Winner 2002, New York, USA; Perpetual Trophy twice
overall winner WA Arts Society
Her work is represented in numerous private,
corporate and public collections around the world, including: the Ministry of
Water Resources; Sultanate of Oman; Fulham Palace, London; Visual
Arts Centre University of Cambridge, University of Norwich, University of London.
Brooklyn
Museum of Art, NY Jean and Charles
Schultz Information Centre Sonama State University, California Eastern Washington
University, Chicago Atelier International,
NY Women's Aid Abroad. The
Singapore Economic Board; Malaysia
Balya Cancer Foundation.
Australia - Toyota;
Toorak College; Victoria Methodist Ladies College; Perth Hale Boys Grammar School,
Perth Electoral Commission; Evans
and Tate Wineries.
Regina's paintings have been reproduced on cover pages of several publications
including Western Review Arts Magazine, New York Expo 2000, and Moondance Magazine
(UK)
