behind the art
Dionne Chambers grew up in a small town in country Victoria, Australia.
With a love of all things boyish she earned the nickname
‘Billy the Kid’ from her father,
now signing her artwork as TomboyBill.
Moving to Melbourne as a teen to further her education,
she trained under the guidance of illustrator Warren Crossett
(Doug Moran Prize, 2015) and found work in the commercial art industry, then expanding her talents in the field of graphic design,
working for a major publishing house.
With a yearning for the more traditional art never quite leaving her
and inspired by such artists as Brett Whiteley and Jean-Michel Basquiat she decided to pick up the brushes and explore her true passion.
about the art
TomboyBill paints with a gentle, self-deprecating humour.
Each piece is personal, intimate and reflective,
often populated with solitary figures set against a stark landscape,
reflecting our own hidden thoughts...
“TomboyBill's artwork has large, expressive heads that seem to be between human and animal - perhaps a statement of existence.”
- Helen Brack -
(Catty Bird Man exhibition)
exhibitions
Awards
MIDSUMMA/AUSTRALIA POST
Art Award Finalist, 2020
Solo Exhibitions:
SQUIGGLE FACE (The Fitzroy Art Collective, 2020)
X (Off The Kerb, 2019)
JOLT (No Vacancy Gallery, 2019)
Darkest Before Dawn (No Vacancy Gallery, 2018)
intermingling (West End Art Space, 2018)
offcut (Birds Gallery, 2017)
A Leap in the Deep (fortyfivedownstairs, 2016)
Catty Bird Man (Red Gallery, 2015),
Creatures Within (Mario's, 2015)
Group Exhibitions:
Art Aviso 1.0 (No Vacancy Gallery, 2019)
45 at 45 (fortyfivedownstairs, 2017)
All Teeth and Swagger (Red Gallery, 2017),
Linden New Art Postcard Show (2017),
69 Smith Street Gallery (2016)
Hatch Contemporary Art Space (2016)
The Beast Beside Us (Red Gallery, 2015)