Artist, designer, musician.
Born in 1981, lives and works in Sydney, Australia.
Alexandra Mowday was born in Durban, South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture (advanced) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her artistic career began at sixteen when she got involved with an artist run studio set up by South African artist Pascale Chandler and began participating in group shows and local initiatives.
Her first solo exhibition, Colour Rush, was held at the the KZNSA Gallery in 2004. In 2005 she moved to Cape Town where she held the position of junior associate at the prestigious architectural practice Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects. Whilst there, she had the opportunity to travel frequently through Africa and develop an interest in the pattern languages that permeate the continent.
In 2009 she moved to Sydney and relinquished a full-time career in architecture in order to explore her general interests in the arts. Yet, the architecture has never left her and its language remains evident her painting with its references to structure and scale. Exploding with energy and oscillating between large scaled paintings and small intimate works on paper, Mowday moves seamlessly between abstract painting and figuration. Her work is autobiographical and yet unsentimental. It fills the room and will not be ignored.
Mowday lives and works in Sydney. Apart from art and architecture, she is passionate about music and is an extremely enthusiastic amateur classical singer with a particular interest in the late Romantic period.
CV
1981 Born Durban, South Africa
1981-2004 Lived and studied in Durban, South Africa
2004-2009 Lived and worked in Cape Town, South
2009-Present Lives and works in Sydney, Australia
2009- Present Artist and designer
2009-2013 Masterclass, National Art School, Sydney
2009 Moved to Sydney, Australia
2006 Registered as Professional architect, South Africa
2005- 2009 Junior Associate at Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects, Cape Town
1997-2004 Member of the Pascal Chandler Painting Studio, South Africa
2004 Winner of the Regional Corobrik Presidents Medal for Architecture, South Africa
2004 Bachelor of Architecture – Advanced (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
2001 Bachelor of Architectural Studies (University of Natal)
Solo Exhibitions
Sept 2012 HARD SOFT FAST SLOW, solo show, Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick, Sydney, Australia
Aug 2004 COLOUR RUSH Solo debut exhibition at the NSA Gallery, Durban, South Africa
Selected Competitions
Sept 2015 Finalist, Portia Geach Memorial Award, NSW
Dec 2014 Finalist, Blacktown City Art Prize, NSW, Australia
Oct 2014 Finalist, Portia Geach Memorial Award, NSW
Feb 2014 Finalist, SHE Competition, Walker Street Gallery, Dandenong, Australia
Dec 2013 Finalist, Blacktown City Art Prize, NSW, Australia
April 2013 Finalist, Chippendale New World Art Prize, Sydney, Australia
Mar 2013 Finalist, SHE Competition, Walker Street Gallery, Dandenong, Australia
Group Exhibitions
Feb 2014 ARTISTS OF MOSMAN: 2088, group show, Sydney, Australia
Jan 2014 9 X 5, Walker Street Gallery, Vic, Australia
April 2013 GOLD! Sydney Children’s Hospital
Feb 2013 ARTISTS OF MOSMAN: 2088, group show, Sydney, Australia
Sept 2012 INVISIBLE REALMS, Painting and Sculpture Students Exhibition, National Art School, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Feb 2010 ARTISTS OF MOSMAN: 2088, group show, Sydney, Australia