Jo Davenport

Born 1957, Australia

Lives & Works – Albury (Wiradjuri)

Jo Davenport’s lyrical oil paintings inhabit the liminal resting place between real, imagined and remembered landscapes. In a world grappling with the ecological consequences of human activities, Davenport's paintings are more than just representations of the landscape; they are heartfelt declarations of the enduring significance of our environment.

Residing in the Murray River region, Davenport's works are infused with this personal connection and love for the landscape apparent in the vibrant and irrepressible hues that stretch across the canvas. Vibrant reds, warm marigold yellows, deep blues and honey suckle pinks converge together in celebration of landscape where abstraction creates a means for the viewer to contemplate what is seen and felt amongst nature. The energetic mark making where paint is dripped and poured onto the canvas, with areas scratched with the brush in a rhythm of erasure and reformation leads to a creation of enigmatic form bringing the transient into view, invoking the complexities of memory and representation.

Davenport won the acclaimed Paddington Art Prize in 2024 for her work 'River Bank', and has been a finalist in a number of prestigious awards including the Len Fox Painting Award (2024), Paddington Art Prize (2023, 2017), Tattersalls Landscape Art Prize (2013), R&M McGivern Award (2012), Langridge Painting Award (2011), Shelmedine Acquisitive Art Award (2010), Alliance Francaise Award (2010) and Pigment Gallery Award (2010) at the Victorian College of the Arts. She has completed extensive studies including a Master of Fine Arts and a Postgraduate Diploma of Visual Art at the Victorian College of the Arts, and an Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts, Riverina Institute. She was the recipient of the Chippendale World Art Residency (2017) and Artist in Residence at Hill End, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (2015).  Her work is held in many important collections including Artbank, University of Melbourne, Norman Foster Club House Tai Po, Hong Kong, Wangaratta Regional Art Gallery and ArtStream Investment Group, as well as private collections in Australia, UK, France, Canada and Japan.