Artist Statement

A woman made of fleshy soap looks longingly towards a covered window.

A leak in the ceiling drips water where she sits.

The woman is inside herself; unable to move from her chair.

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As the warm water from above drips down onto her face, she slowly disappears.

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Julia Burns is an artist interested in the psychology of contemporary society. Issues of paralysis, status anxiety, competition and a general loss of grounding, are of her prime concern.

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As part of her artistic practice, she listens to the emotions of people around her, and tries to understand some of the information and confusion carried around by each of them.

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Through empathy and summary, she hopes to materialise a sense of recognition for her viewers and a feeling that they have been heard.

This new series of sculptures made in soap features emotional characters that are affected by natural elements over time.

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Artist Bio

In 2011 Julia Burns exhibited her work at the Jakarta Biennale and with the Experimenta/Asialink Touring Exhibition 'Selectively Revealed'. In 2010 she won the Freedman Foundation Traveling Scholarship and did a four month residency at Videotage, Hong Kong. She has shown at the Australia Council for the Arts, Osage Gallery Hong Kong, First Draft Gallery and beta_space. In 2009 she won the Marrickville Culture and Arts Grant. She was included in the d/Lux/Media/Arts Regional Touring program in 2010 and 2011. Her work has shown at the Western Plains Cultural Centre in Dubbo, NSW and Griffith Regional Gallery with d/Lux/Media/Arts