Angela Stewart

Angela Stewart was born and brought up in Western Australia. Her interest in portraiture of more than three decades lead her to study its history and its contemporary practice in both her Masters and Doctorate at Curtin University, Western Australia.

Her drawing, painting and paint/ed photography often make stylistic and thematic reference to the Italian Renaissance historical portraits and the transition of the fresco to easel painting. By studying the work of Sixteenth century Italian painter Sofonisba Anguissola, Angela became fascinated by the complexity and etiquette of painting by a woman from that era. Her desire was to roll back the veneer of the finished artwork and to imagine signs of hesitation and mistakes as a way to unlace the becoming of a portrait. This notion of ‘artistic doubt’ has since had an influence on her more recent oeuvre.

Over time, the rendering of her line and brushwork has dissolved to increasingly reveal materiality and process. With oval and circular frames, she examines traditional elements such as the cameo or motifs of flora and fauna in landscape and costume of portraits. Her work suggests details of imaginary narrative, slippages of a forensic trail that may or may not lead back to the portrait.

A lecturer for many years in major tertiary institutions, Angela was a permanent part-time lecturer in painting and drawing at North Metropolitan College (Central TAFE) until 2015.

Her work is held in major collections including Curtin University, BHP Billiton, The University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, Bankwest, Kedumba Drawing Award, The Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art, St John of God Health Care and the City of Albany.