About

Born in 1956 in Perth, Western Australia, to Hungarian parents, Kati studied art at Edith Cowan University and the Hobart School of Art, majoring in printmaking. Since 1980 she has lived mainly on the far south coast of WA, working from her home studio. The telling of tales has always been integral to her art practice, and she draws on personal stories and incidents along with both lesser and grander narratives to devise a form of visual fable. Using a cast of characters including animals and objects, her storylines suggest the mystery, frailty, hopefulness and anxiety of life. She says, 'I think of my images as small theatre settings where various dramas are enacted'. Kati's art is often imbued with her Eastern European heritage, and a journey to trace her migrant family's homelands in 2010 is reflected in subsequent exhibitions, and in the development of several series of works.

More recently, Kati has been exploring the natural world, looking at ways to depict the fragility and complexity of natural ecosystems, and of the human relationship to nature.

Kati's work has been exhibited nationally in both solo and group exhibitions, and is held in numerous private and public art collections in both Australia and overseas.

EDUCATION/ WORK EXPERIENCE

2006 Lecturer in Visual Art, Edith Cowan Uni, Albany , WA
2002/4 Lecturer in Printmaking, Edith Cowan Uni, Albany, WA
2001 Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours, University of Tasmania
2000 Lecturer in Visual Art, Great Southern Regional College, Albany
1995-98 BA Visual Art, Edith Cowan University, WA

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024 Kati Thamo, Art Images Gallery, SA
2023 Listening for the Call, PG Printmaker Gallery, Vic
2022 Wingspan, The Goods Shed, Perth, WA
2019 Another Language, Beaver Galleries, Canberra, ACT
2018 Bird in a Bell Jar, Turner Galleries, Perth, WA
2016 Strange to Behold, Printmaker Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
2015 Retold, Beaver Galleries, Deakin, ACT
2014 Timelapse, Turner Galleries, Perth, WA
2012 Chasing Shadows, Turner Galleries, Perth, WA
2009 Casting shadows, Beaver Galleries, Canberra, ACT
2005 Confabulations, Beaver Galleries, Canberra, ACT
2004 Storylines, Byte Gallery, Perth, WA
2002 Relating Narratives, Artplace, Perth, WA
1997 Stories, Lies and Make Believe, Artplace, Perth, WA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024 Land, Life and Legacy, Queenscliff Gallery, Vic
2024 The Way I See It, Queenscliff Gallery, Vic
2023 In the Company of Morris, Ballarat Art gallery, Vic
2023 Wild, New England Contemporary Print Gallery, NSW
2022 Kati Thamo/ Christina Metelli, Art Images Gallery, Adelaide
2021 Subtleties of Obsession, Albany Town Hall Galleries, Albany, WA
2021 Kati Thamo/ Elizabeth Banfield, Queenscliff Gallery, Vic
2021 Peebles Print Award, Queenscliff Gallery, Vic
2020 Megalo International Print Prize, Canberra, ACT
2019 Peebles Print Award, Queenscliff Gallery, Vic
2019 Natura, Flux Gallery, Perth, WA
2019 Burnie Print Prize, Burnie, Tas
2018 Running Deep, Fremantle Art Centre, WA
2017 Geelong Print Award, Geelong, Victoria
2017 Tracing the Line, Port Jackson Press Print Gallery, Victoria
2017 Burnie Print Prize, Burnie, Tasmania
2016 Contemporary Paper, Port Jackson Press Print Gallery, Victoria
2016 Over Here, Nyiisztor Studio, Perth, WA
2015 Beastarium, Dubbo Regional Gallery, NSW
2015 Silk Cut Award, Melbourne, Victoria
2015 Burnie Print Prize, Burnie, Tasmania
2014 Silk Cut Award, Melbourne, Victoria
2013 Silk Cut Award, Melbourne, Victoria
2013 Burnie Print Prize, Burnie, Tasmania
2012 Silk Cut Award, Melbourne, Victoria
2012 Ten(t), Albany Residency Museum, Albany, WA
2011 Paperartzi, Vancouver Art Centre, Albany, WA
2009 Continuum, Gorepani Gallery, Albany, WA
2009 Banyule Works on Paper Award, Banyule, Victoria
2009 International Print Triennial, Krakow, Poland
2009 Silk Cut Award, Melbourne, Victoria
2008 Shadow me Home, Moore’s Building, Fremantle, WA
2007 Christmas Collection, Beaver Galleries, Canberra, A.C.T.
2006 Unravelling Country, Gorepani Gallery, Albany, WA
2005 33, Port Jackson Press, Melbourne, Victori
2003 Women Remembering Women, Moore’s Building Fremantle, WA
2003 Christmas Collection, Beaver Galleries, Canberra, A.C.T.
2001 Modo de Volar, Entrepot Gallery, Hobart, Tas.
2001 Small Passions, Fine Arts Gallery, Hobart, Tas
2001 Mine Own Executioner, Mundaring, WA
2000 The Feast, Albany, WA
1998 Small Figures - Big Lives, Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, WA

AWARDS

2017 Great Southern Art Award, Print Prize
2016 Western Australian Printmedia Award, Regional Award
2014 Western Australian Printmedia Award, Regional Award
2012 Centennial Art Prize, Print Award
2009 Banyule Works on Paper Award, Highly Commended
2009 Print(Ed) Award, Judge’s Choice Award
2009 Western Australian Printmedia Award, Best Edition Award
2007 Albany Art Prize, Major Open Award
2006 Wanneroo Art Award, Mixed Media Award
2004 Albany Art Prize, Gallery 500 Award
2003 Western Australian Printmedia Awards, Major Open Award
2002 Fremantle Print Award, People’s Choice Award
2002 Fremantle Print Award, Highly Commended
2002 Albany Art Prize, Airport Award
2001 Albany Art Prize, Print Award
1999 ITC Art Prize, Highly Commended
1998 Printmakers Assoc. of W.A. Competition, Highly Commended
1996 Printmakers Assoc. of W.A. Competition Award
1995 ‘Wild Art’ Competition, Black and White Award
1992 Albany Art Prize, Miniature Award

PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS

2022 Great Southern Grammar, Albany WA
2017 Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, WA
2013 Kwoorabup Community Park, Denmark, WA
2011 Harford Grove Public Art, Yanchep, WA
2007-8 Denmark Multi Purpose Health Centre, External Artwork Commission
2006 Southern Forest Sculpture Walk Commission, Northcliffe, WA
2004-5 Albany Justice Complex, Internal Artwork Commission, Albany, WA
2001-2 Albany Primary School Percent For Art Project, Albany, WA

PRINT COMMISSIONS

2009 Print Council of Australia, annual print commission, Vict
2000 Print Council of Australia, annual print commission, Vict

RESIDENCIES

2019 Penrhos College Artist in Residence, Perth, WA
2017 Police Point Residency, MRAG, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
2010 Artsource Residency (Eastern Europe travel grant)
2004 PAWA Artist in Residence, Northbridge, WA
2003 Artist in Residence, Shell Fremantle Print Award, WA

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Print Council of Australia., Native Title Tribunal., Banyule City Council, Vic., Charles Sturt University, NSW., Murdoch University, WA., Charles Darwin University, NT., Queensland University of Technology Art Museum, Qld., Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Qld., Gladstone Regional Art Gallery, Qld., Burnie Regional Art Gallery, Tas., City of Fremantle, WA., St John of God Hospital, WA,, City of Wanneroo, WA., Scotch College, WA., City of Albany, WA., Great Southern Regional College, WA., City of Swan, WA., City of Whitehorse, Vic., Grafton Regional Art Gallery, NSW., Forbo Holdings, Switzerland, Perth Children’s Hospital, North Metropolitan College of Tafe, WALGA.,City of Perth, Art Gallery of Ballarat