Why 'mandalartist'? ... The Mandala: A Journey Back to Self
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In Sanskrit mandala means 'circle'. Traditional mandalas consist of various geometric designs and patterns symbolising the universe, totality and wholeness. They sometimes incorporated images of deities and were used chiefly in Hinduism and Buddhism as an aid to meditation.
In Jungian psychology the mandala is a symbol of self expression and a symbol of the effort to reunify the self. The beauty of drawing mandalas from a Jungian perspective is that there are no limits to expression or the creative process. This is the process that fires my passion the most, and the basis upon which many of my personal works are created. Meditation utilising mandalas helps to clear the mind and bring one back to oneself and centre. Mandalas helped me find my way back to art after ignoring the calling for way too long. For that I will be forever grateful. |
Artist Biography
KYLIE JOY MORRISON - ART BIOGRAPHY
1990-1993 Completed Bachelor of Art Education, UNSW
1994 Awarded NSW Teachers Certificate
1994-2002 Visual Arts & Casual Teacher at Bathurst High School, Ambarvale High School, and Smith's Hill High School
2001-2002 Facilitator of School Holiday workshops for Wollongong City Gallery
2008-2009 Private weekly art workshops at Astarte Mind & Body Studio, Oak Flats
2016-2020 Monthly art workshops at Astarte Mind & Body Studio, Albion Park Rail
2020-2025 Art Workshop Facilitator for Shellharbour City Council
2021 Founded Firetail Artists Collective with Donna Dickson and Casey Maree
2022 Joined Against the Tide, South Coast Artists Collective
2022 Freelance Art and Creative workshop consultant and facilitator for Frasers Property project
2024-2025 Art Workshop Facilitator for Kiama Municipal Council
2025 Enrolled in Art Therapy Practitioner course
1990-1993 Completed Bachelor of Art Education, UNSW
1994 Awarded NSW Teachers Certificate
1994-2002 Visual Arts & Casual Teacher at Bathurst High School, Ambarvale High School, and Smith's Hill High School
2001-2002 Facilitator of School Holiday workshops for Wollongong City Gallery
2008-2009 Private weekly art workshops at Astarte Mind & Body Studio, Oak Flats
2016-2020 Monthly art workshops at Astarte Mind & Body Studio, Albion Park Rail
2020-2025 Art Workshop Facilitator for Shellharbour City Council
2021 Founded Firetail Artists Collective with Donna Dickson and Casey Maree
2022 Joined Against the Tide, South Coast Artists Collective
2022 Freelance Art and Creative workshop consultant and facilitator for Frasers Property project
2024-2025 Art Workshop Facilitator for Kiama Municipal Council
2025 Enrolled in Art Therapy Practitioner course
The Journey
I began my art career in my teens as an illustrator for community services and local businesses, before completing a Bachelor of Art Education at UNSW in 1993. I spent the next 8 years working as a casual teacher in Visual Arts, as well as across multiple other departments, in High Schools across NSW.
In 2002 I left the education system to pursue a new career in the health and fitness industry, re-channelling my creative energies into my own dance practice and creative performance projects.
In 2008 I founded my own home studio business, Astarte Mind & Body. Over the next 13 years I focused my energies on growing my business into a holistic focused centre teaching weekly mind body focused classes, belly dance classes, and monthly art workshops.
In 2020, I made a conscious decision to revisit my first love, and focus more on my professional artistic development. I was offered the opportunity to facilitate a series of art workshops for Shellharbour City Council's Enliven program and have continued my relationship with Shellharbour City Council's Arts program since, involving myself in community art projects, creating sculptural installations, and facilitating creative art workshops.
In 2021 I established the Firetail Artists Collective with Donna Dickson and Casey Maree to provide incentive to further our artistic development and create opportunities to expand our artistic limits.
In 2022 I joined Against the Tide, South Coast Alternative Art and Artisans who provide opportunities for emerging and alternative artists to exhibit their works in various exhibitions around the Illawarra.
I am currently enrolled in an Art Therapy Practitioner course.
Commissioned Works
1997 Youth Drug and Alcohol Services logo
1998 Suicide Prevention Task Force mascot logo and pamphlet illustration
1990 Camden Community Health Centre pamphlet logo
1991 Illustrations for Sydney based graphic arts company
1991 Illustrations and handwritten text for NSW schools Asthma Awareness Kit
1993 Illustrations for My Fair Lady stage production promotional kit, St Patricks College, Campbelltown
1996 Illustrations for cookbook "Sweet Things from Appin"
2002 Illustrations for Gypsy Flames School of Belly Dance promotional posters and programs
2010 Ongoing costume and prop production for Astarte Studio dance events
2020 Kraken sculptural stage prop used as the cover photo for Littmus Steampunk Band CD
2021 Scarecrow (installation) for Shellharbour City Councils Messy Hands Create & Play event
2021 Magical Beanstalk (installation) for Shellharbour City Council Library
2024 Wonka backdrop for Shellharbour City Council's Create & Play
1998 Suicide Prevention Task Force mascot logo and pamphlet illustration
1990 Camden Community Health Centre pamphlet logo
1991 Illustrations for Sydney based graphic arts company
1991 Illustrations and handwritten text for NSW schools Asthma Awareness Kit
1993 Illustrations for My Fair Lady stage production promotional kit, St Patricks College, Campbelltown
1996 Illustrations for cookbook "Sweet Things from Appin"
2002 Illustrations for Gypsy Flames School of Belly Dance promotional posters and programs
2010 Ongoing costume and prop production for Astarte Studio dance events
2020 Kraken sculptural stage prop used as the cover photo for Littmus Steampunk Band CD
2021 Scarecrow (installation) for Shellharbour City Councils Messy Hands Create & Play event
2021 Magical Beanstalk (installation) for Shellharbour City Council Library
2024 Wonka backdrop for Shellharbour City Council's Create & Play
Art Exhibitions
1993 COFA NSW Student Exhibition, COFA Sydney
1998 NOMAD: Images of the Sahara, Project Gallery, Wollongong
2000 Art and Belly Dance Exhibition, Faces on Crown, Wollongong
2015 Suerenda & Zaghareet: An Artistic Journey into the World of Dance Orientale, Squid Studio, Nowra
2022 Firetail Artists Collective State of Emergence Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2022 Firetail Artists Collective Treasure Chest Art Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2022 Against the Tide Summer Solstice Art Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2023 Against the Tide Fire and Water Art Exhibition, The Old Kiama Fire Station
2023 Armoire of Adornment Creative Costuming Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2023 Against the Tide Cabinet of Curiosities Exhibition, Wollongong Art Gallery
2023 Against the Tide Curiosity Shop Pop Up Exhibition, The Old Kiama Fire Station
2023 Firetail Artists Collective Reflection & Refraction Exhibition, The Imaginarium
2024 Against the Tide Curiosity Shop Pop Up Exhibition, The Old Kiama Fire Station
2024 The Goblin Queen's Eclectic Art market, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2024 Firetail Artists Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2024 Against the Tide Art Market, Old Kiama Fire Station
2025 Against the Tide: Under the Surface Exhibition, Old Kiama Fire Station
1998 NOMAD: Images of the Sahara, Project Gallery, Wollongong
2000 Art and Belly Dance Exhibition, Faces on Crown, Wollongong
2015 Suerenda & Zaghareet: An Artistic Journey into the World of Dance Orientale, Squid Studio, Nowra
2022 Firetail Artists Collective State of Emergence Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2022 Firetail Artists Collective Treasure Chest Art Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2022 Against the Tide Summer Solstice Art Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2023 Against the Tide Fire and Water Art Exhibition, The Old Kiama Fire Station
2023 Armoire of Adornment Creative Costuming Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2023 Against the Tide Cabinet of Curiosities Exhibition, Wollongong Art Gallery
2023 Against the Tide Curiosity Shop Pop Up Exhibition, The Old Kiama Fire Station
2023 Firetail Artists Collective Reflection & Refraction Exhibition, The Imaginarium
2024 Against the Tide Curiosity Shop Pop Up Exhibition, The Old Kiama Fire Station
2024 The Goblin Queen's Eclectic Art market, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2024 Firetail Artists Exhibition, The Imaginarium, Shellharbour
2024 Against the Tide Art Market, Old Kiama Fire Station
2025 Against the Tide: Under the Surface Exhibition, Old Kiama Fire Station
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