Harris has been exhibiting regularly in Sydney and interstate since the 80’s with numerous solo and group exhibitions. Harris received the Artlink Prize at the Mosman Gallery and a residency at Bundanon in 2002. Winner of the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize in 2008 judged by Terence Maloon, a survey exhibition curated by the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery toured some of Australia’s finest regional galleries between 2007-2009.
She has been a Wynne Prize finalist and her paintings have been exhibited in previous Salon des Refuses and Year in Art exhibitions at the SH Ervin Gallery. She was the recipient of the AGNSW studio at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris in 2009. She was the winner of the Fleurieu Prize in 2011 judged by Ted Snell, Janet Laurence and Nick Mitzevich and artist in residence at Taronga Zoo.
Harris was awarded the Kedumba Drawing Prize in 2014.
Harris exhibited with the Legge Gallery from 1989-2006. She exhibited with Richard Martin Art and the The Hughes Gallery in Sydney until their closure in 2015, Harris then exhibited with the Conny Dietzschold Gallery in Sydney until 2018 and Art Atrium till 2021 and will have an exhibition with Annandale Galleries in 2023.
Harris exhibits with Despard Gallery in Hobart Tasmania. In 2019 Harris was awarded the KAAF Art Prize (Korea Australia Arts Foundation) Judged by Prof Yong-sun Suh, John McDonald and Oliver Smith.
Her work is represented in numerous public and private collections in Australia, Europe and the US. Throughout her career she has developed a pictorial language of considerable integrity. She has created an organic and inclusive body of work and in it discovered an apt metaphor for communicating the shifting structure of her experience.
Julienne Harris
Born Julienne Gwyneth Harris in Sydney, Australia. Julie Harris currently lives and works in Blackheath NSW.
Harris studied at the National Art School, Sydney where she was awarded the school Print Prize and a Diploma in Painting. From 1976-1979 Harris continued her studies in London, UK learning restoration and water gilding with Paul Levi then Bourlets (Sothebys Parke Bernet).
“In any prize there is one work that leaps out at you, one that grabs your attention in the midst of all the others. This year it was Julie Harris’ work, not only because it speaks with such eloquence about the land, the air, the wind and the fragrance of flowers but also because it shows a highly sophisticated knowledge of the language of painting. Julie understands the alchemical nature of painting and the fluid role that paint can play from solid substance, mark, spill and stain to express the unique characteristics of the landscape. Fusing western and eastern interpretations she works with the traditional modes of representation to create a hybrid image of how we understand our physical environment. Through her exploration of verticality and an expansive sense of space she generates a fresh vision of what we know and experience everyday.”
–Ted Snell, Nick Mitzevich and Janet Laurence
Judging panel of the Fleurieu Prize.
Ted Snell a former chairman of the Australia Council, Nick Mitzevich director of the Art Gallery of South Australia and artist Janet Lawrence
“Artists make links not just over geographical and cultural divides but across historical ones.In the winning work there is a sense of exquisiteness,a serenity,a veneration of otherness which is so profoundly expressed in cultures of the East and seems so alien to the Western notions of domination and control. Of course this rapaciousness and heedlessness that so mars our achievements may have it’s antidote in the best of our Western art and music.In this work Views#1 by Julie Harris the magic of tone, the ability of art to invite us into it’s own space,which here is a poetic space of dream,space of nostalgia,space of speculation and a space of the possible.Her work encapsulates this in a strikingly distinguished and authentic way. The beautiful thing about the concept of drawing is it’s both a noun and a verb.Here we see the artist draws out an image and a mood and draws in the spectator.”
–Terence Maloon March 5th 2008
Judge of the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize.
Terence Maloon, Senior Curator Special Exhibitions AGNSW currently Director of the Drill Hall ANU Canberra