Kathy Fahey –
Born 1956,
“Dementia – Then and Now – Are you still here ?” lino print, ink, photographs 57 CM X 60 CM
Occupation:
Artist and teacher
Education:
1998 Diploma of Visual Arts (on going) , Box Hill Institute of Tafe, Box Hill
1993 Certificate of Art & Design, Fremantle Institute of
Tafe,
1978 Bachelor of Art, Major: History & Politics,
Media:
Oil paint, pastels (oil & soft), ink, lino-printing, mosaic
Experiences related
to art:
Art teacher, Box Hill Community Arts Centre, Kew Neighbourhood House, Balwyn Community Centre, Holmesglen TAFE
2004 Artist in
2003 Artist in
1999-2000 Artist in Residence, Box Hill Community Arts Centre
Honours and awards:
2003-2004 Secretary, International Women Artists’ Association – Australia inc.
Solo Exhibitions:
2000 “Box Hill & Beyond” Box Hill Community Arts Centre, Box Hill
Group Exhibitions:
2004 “2D or Not 2D”, with Ann-Maree Gentile, Box Hill Community Arts Centre
2003 “Hot August Night” with Ann-Maree Gentile, Box Hill Community Arts Centre
2002 “Mosaics Plus”, Potters Cottage Warrandyte
2001 “Under Pressure”, Collingwood Gallery, Collingwood
2000 “Women as Women”, with Mary-Jane Wagenfeld, Wyreena Community Arts
Centre, Croydon
1999 “Body Parts” Box Hill Community Arts Centre
1996 “Inside Out” Steps Gallery,
1996 “Naked Nude – The Human Figure in Motion”, Platform 2 Flinders Street Station
1995 “Kakadu Experiences”
Important
collections:
2000 Box Hill Community Arts Centre, “
Artists’ statement:
This piece of work is a tribute to one of the people I hold closest to my heart – my mother.
The work is related to the decline of my mother over recent years with the onset of dementia. Prior to her dementia my mother was a women of wisdom, intellect and generosity. An English teacher, she had a great love of reading, story telling and conversation. Language was her passion, a passion now all but lost to her.
With her diminishing long and short term memory my mother constantly handles her books and photographs of herself and her family. It is as if she is trying to remember, to place herself and find those things closest to her heart. With all her suffering and loss my mother deals with her condition with great dignity and humour, attributes that have carried her gracefully through a long and rich life.