Jennifer D’Arcy
Jennifer D’Arcy is an Australian artist working across painting, and drawing. Her practice is grounded in close observation and technical precision, but driven by a desire to push emotional intensity through bold, expressive colour and charged mark-making. While rooted in realism, her work operates in a contemporary space—probing identity, presence, and the psychological weight carried by the human form.
She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) from Melbourne University’s Victorian College of the Arts and recently completed a summer residency at the New York Academy of Art. D’Arcy has also undertaken residencies at Melbourne Grammar School and is a regular participant in the biannual residency program at Hamilton Island Art Gallery.
Her work has been recognised nationally on numerous occasions, including being a finalist in the National Emerging Art Prize for the past two consecutive years. D’Arcy has exhibited nationally and internationally, with works held in public and private collections worldwide. Her practice continues to evolve at the intersection of rigorous technique and contemporary emotional inquiry.
Exhibitions & Awards
2026
Solo Exhibition, The Whitsunday Collection: Recent works, Hamilton Island Art Gallery, Queensland
2025
Finalist, The National Emerging Art Prize – The Garden Gallery, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Solo Exhibition, The Whitsunday Collection: Recent works, Hamilton Island Art Gallery, Queensland
2024
Finalist, The National Emerging Art Prize – The Garden Gallery, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Finalist, The Lester Prize – Western Australian Museum, Perth
Finalist, The Darling Portrait Prize – National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Group Exhibition, After Walter Hopps – Gallery One, Geelong
Solo Exhibition, The Whitsunday Collection: Recent works, Hamilton Island Art Gallery, Queensland
Award, Academy Scholar Award – New York Academy of Art Gallery, New York
Group Exhibition, Technical Touch – New York Academy of Art Gallery, Tribeca, New York
Group Exhibition, SURP Exhibition – New York Academy of Art Gallery, Tribeca, New York
2023
Group Exhibition, The Lester Prize – Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, Western Australia
Solo Exhibition, The Whitsunday Collection: Recent works, Hamilton Island Art Gallery, Queensland
2022
Solo Exhibition, Honey Bee – Alternating Current Art Space, Melbourne
Solo Exhibition, The Whitsunday Collection: Recent works, Hamilton Island Art Gallery, Queensland
Finalist, The Lester Prize – Perth
Finalist, Salon des Refuses – S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Group Exhibition, Escape – Alternating Current Art Space, Melbourne
2021
Group Exhibition, EP Collective – Red Gallery, Melbourne
Finalist, Linden Postcard Show – Linden Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne
Group Exhibition, Abstractions Have Voices – Brooklyn, New York
Group Exhibition, Re_ – Red Gallery, Melbourne
2020
Finalist, Linden Postcard Show – Linden Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne
Group Exhibition, My Still Life – No Vacancy, Melbourne
2019
Group Exhibition, Visual Art Short Courses Exhibition – VCA Gallery, Melbourne
2015
Group Exhibition, Celebrating Birth – The Birth House, Geelong
2013
Finalist, The Hidden Faces of the Archibald Exhibition – Hilton South Wharf, Melbourne
2012
Finalist, Salon des Refuses – S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Academic Details
2019
Extended Practice, Melbourne University, Victorian College of the Arts.
2003 – 2007
Bachelor of Midwifery, Monash University, Caufield.
1995 – 1998
Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting), Melbourne University, Victorian College of the Arts.
1993 – 1994
Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting), Monash University, Caulfield.
Residences
2025
July – Sept: Melbourne Grammar School, Melbourne, VIC.
2024
June - August: New York Academy of Art, New York, NY.
2022 - present
Biannually: Hamilton Island Art Gallery, Hamilton Island, QLD.
Teaching & Workshops
2011 – Present
Academic lecturer, Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Melbourne
2022 - Present
Biannually: Children and adult art classes, Hamilton Island Art Gallery, Hamilton Island, QLD.
Collections
Works held in public and private collections in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Denmark, New York, Vancouver and New Zealand.