Biography

COLLECTIVE HISTORIES IN BLUE

Jessica Murtagh first solo show
Opening April 20 Grainger Gallery


Jessica Murtagh is an Adelaide based early career artist working with blown glass. Having recently
completed a Master’s in Design (Contemporary Art) from the University of South Australia, her practice is
currently based out of JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design. Jessica’s arts practice leans heavily on
illustration, using sandcarving and engraving techniques to create imagery and narratives on glass. Her
work is predominantly in the form of vessels, which are both functional and sculptural, ranging from
vibrant and dramatic to subdued. She draws inspiration from both the natural world and classical
artefacts, contrasted with contemporary themes.
Jessica’s narrative work is inspired by antiquities from past societies such as the ancient Athenians.
Artefacts made of stone, ceramic, metal and glass give glimpses into the stories of their lives, from godly
deeds to tableaus depicting everyday moments. Illustrations of the common, mundane scenes of
ordinary people are of particular influence on Murtagh’s body of work and a fascination with history and
ancient relics has led to exploration of what future artefacts could be, and to question what our
contemporary culture will one day leave behind.
She has exhibited in numerous prizes and exhibitions around Australia. She was recently a finalist in the
Tom Malone Glass prize at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. In 2021 Jessica was awarded Highly
Commended in the Waterhouse Natural Science prize, and in 2019 was awarded the Vicki Torr Emerging
Artist Prize. Her work is held in a number of private collections, and was recently collected by the
Powerhouse Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria, Parliament House Art Collection and the Hamilton
Art Gallery.

Awards
2023 Finalist, Helpmann Graduate Exhibition, ACE, SA
2023 Finalist, Adelaide Parklands Prize, Adelaide Festival Centre, SA
2023 Finalist, Ausglass Vicki Torr International Year of Glass prize,
Melbourne, VIC
2023 Finalist, Brighton Jetty Sculptures prize, Brighton, SA
2022 Finalist, Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Sydney, NSW
2022 Finalist, The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, SA Museum, SA
2022 Finalist, Tom Malone prize, Art Gallery of Western Australia
2022 Finalist, Brighton Jetty Sculptures prize, Brighton, SA
2021 Finalist, Brighton Jetty Sculptures prize, Brighton, SA
2020 Highly Commended, The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, SA
Museum, SA
2020 Highly Commended, Wagga Wagga National Emerging Glass Prize,

Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, NSW

2020 Awarded a Pilchuck Glass School scholarship to attend Laura Aalto-
Setala workshop
2020 Finalist, MilanoVetro -35 prize, Sforza Castle - Museum of Decorative Arts,
Milan, Italy 2020 Finalist, Heysen Prize for landscape, Hahndorf Academy, SA
2019 Winner, Vicki Torr Emerging Artist Art Prize, Ausglass, www.ausglass.com.au
2020 Finalist, Tom Bass Figurative Sculpture Prize, Juniper Hall, Paddington,
NSW
2019 Finalist, Gallery M Contemporary Art Prize, Gallery M, Marion Cultural Centre,

SA

2019 Finalist, Pro Hart Art Prize, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, Broken Hill, NSW
Grants and residencies
2022 Independent Arts Foundation grant for solo exhibition at Grainger Gallery,

ACT

2022 Arts SA Independent Artists Grant for solo exhibition at Grainger Gallery,

ACT

2020 Thomas Foundation Artist in Residence, Canberra Glassworks, ACT
2020 USASA Leadership Grant for Thomas Foundation Residency at Canberra

Glassworks

2020 National program for the arts grant, Sidney Myer Fund & Myer
Foundation, Sydney
2019 Carclew Project and Development grant to attend international glass

conference in Whanganui, New Zealand

Jessica Murtagh
Curriculum Vitae

Group Exhibitions
2023 Net Worth, Canberra Glassworks, Canberra, ACT
2022 Summer Harlequin show, Grainger Gallery, Canberra, ACT
2022 A Glassy Affair, Audrey Fine Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2022 Trust: A generous legacy, Hamilton Regional Gallery, VIC
2022 Glass Chrysalis, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, Wagga Wagga, NSW
2022 Spring Song, Grainger Gallery, Canberra, ACT
2022 Modern Antiquity, Fletcher Arts, Melbourne, Victoria
2022 Nascent Glass, JamFactory, Adelaide, South Australia
2022 Melbourne Design Fair (Craft Victoria) as part of Melbourne Design
Week, Victoria
2021 Shaped, Craft Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria
2021 Untitled, Fletcher Arts, Melbourne, Victoria
2021 Future Inheritance: 20 Speculative objects for a time to come,

Melbourne Design Week, VIC

2020 This is now, Grainger Gallery, Canberra, ACT
2020 Vi Naturae, joint exhibition with Rita Kellaway, Urban Cow Gallery, SA
2019 Unveil, SALA, The Arkaba Hotel, Unley, South Australia
2019 Clare Art show, group exhibition, Clare Town Hall, Clare, South Australia
Public and Private Collections
2022 Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (The Powerhouse Museum)
2022 National Gallery of Victoria
2022 Hamilton Regional Art Gallery
2022 Parliament House Art Collection
2022 Australia Catholic University collection
2021 National Gallery of Victoria

Publications
2022 The Chrysalis effect: Thinking through new practices in glass, Art Monthly
Australia

2022 Artist blasts glass to make modern relics, Canberra Times
(tinyurl.com/3ur4duub)

2022 New Glass Review 42 magazine, featured artist, Corning Museum of Glass,
New York

2022 Contemporary Australian Glass, The Tom Malone Prize 2018-2022,
AGWA, WA

2021 National Gallery of Victoria Magazine Nov-Dec issue
2020 New Glass Review 41 magazine, featured artist, Corning Museum of Glass,
New York

Education & Professional development
2022 Master of Design (Contemporary Art), University of South Australia
2021 Pattern making and bowls with Ben Edols, Jamfactory, South Australia
2019 Form + Color with Boyd Sugiki and Lisa Zerkowitz, Corning Museum of
Glass, USA
2018 Graduate Diploma of Design (Contemporary Art), University of South
Australia
2018 Colouring in the fundamentals with Lewis Batchelar and Madeline
Prowd, Pilchuck Glass School, Washington, USA
2018 Tumblers: simple perfection with Powell Scott Corning Museum of Glass,
New York, USA
2014 Master of Marketing, University of South Australia