About
Roma McLaughlin is an Australian artist working and living in Melbourne, Victoria. Her creative practice includes illustration, painting, papercutting and book art.
Earlier Paintings
Her earlier paintings used the spiral shapes of the passionfruit vine and the intertwining knot patterns from Celtic Art to create intricate mandalas reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts.
Current Paper Art
Roma’s paper art which includes papercutting and collage is inspired by the detailed patterns found in Celtic Art, Art Nouveau, Asian decorative arts and more recently in Nature’s organic forms observed in the Ocean, and also the local rivers and bushland where she lives.
Biography
Her children and adult book illustrations for publishers include Cole’s Publications, Black Dog Books, Five Mile Press and Macmillan Publishing.
Her papercuts and book art are in the Whitehorse Art Collection and she was published in the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) publication, Papercrafts. A Maker’s Guide.
Roma has featured in many exhibitions in Melbourne and overseas.
Her latest art project is an artbook: The Alchemy of Cats published by Streamline Publishing
CV
Education
Roma graduated in 1975 with a Diploma of Art and Design: Painting from Prahran College of Advanced Education (Melbourne)
2023 2023 2022 | Finalist in the Maritime Art Prize and Exhibition. Melbourne. Vic Finalist in Banyule Works on Paper Finalist in the Maritime Art Prize and Exhibition. Melbourne. Vic |
2022 | The Natural Shape of Things Sea - Land -Sky. Montsalvat. Eltham Vic. |
2021 | Coastline. 45 Downstairs Gallery |
2020 | Finalist in The National Works on Paper MPRG Melbourne. Vic. |
2020 | Door to Door Online Exhibition with Art Aviso and No Vacancy Gallery. Melbourne. Vic. |
2020 | 1.5 Degrees Exhibition with Art Aviso. Forty Five Downstairs Gallery Melbourne. Vic |
2019 | Finalist in the Wyndham Art Prize Competition Werribee. Vic. |
2019 | Women's Art Exhibition with International Women's Artists Federation. Moscow. Russia. |
2019 | Book Art disCOVER. exhibition Amegilla Gallery Bruthen. Vic. |
2018 | Small. Forty Five Downstairs Gallery Melbourne. Vic. |
2018 | Women in the Whitehorse Art Collection. Whitehorse Artspace Gallery Box Hill. Vic |
2016 | Her Presence in Colours X11- Kaohsuing Cultural Arts Centre. Kaohsuing. Taiwan. |
2016 | Paper Artist Collective Exhibition A Side B Side Gallery. London. |
2016 | Birds and Us group Exhibition Melbourne Vic. |
2016 | Works of Art Gallery Exhibition Kyneton Vic. |
2015 | 'Complementary' Quadrant Gallery Hawthorn Vic. |
2015 | Finalist in Portrait Exhibition Cambridge Studio Gallery Melbourne Vic. |
2014 | Chapel Street Art Town Visual Arts Award Melbourne Vic. |
| 2017 | Evolution. Whitehorse Artspace Gallery Box Hill Vic. |
| 2014 | Ravensfield Studio Kyneton Vic. |
| 2010 | Ming Chuan University Gallery. Taipei. Taiwan. |
| 2010 | Sincewell Gallery and Fo Guan Shan Gallery Kaohsiung. Taiwan. |
| 2009 | and 2010 Finalist in ‘SHE Who Discovers’ Exhibition. Walker Street Gallery. Vic. |
| 2008 | Her Presence in Colours VIII National Art Museum of China – Beijing. |
| 2006 | Her Light in Native Colours. Her Presence in Colours VII – Dague Art and Cultural Centre. Korea. |
| 2018 | Thames and Hudson for V&A museum. UK. Contribution to the book Papercraft- A Practical Guide. |
| 2018 | Benson and Mills USA Table decor design. |
| 2010 | Macmillan Art Publishing: Illustrations for a book of poetry by Barbara M. Moore called Cosmic Collisions and Falling Bodies. |
| Past | Illustration work for both children and adult books has been with publishers Cole’s Publications, Black Dog Books, Five Mile Press and Macmillan Publishing. |
| 2021 | Winner People's Choice Award National Works on Paper MPRG 2020 |
| 2016 | Invited Artist Competition Whitehorse Artspace Gallery Box Hill Vic. |
| 2014 | Winner 2nd Prize Chapel Street Art Town Arts Awards |
Collections
Whitehorse City Council
Melbourne City Council
Book Art
2013 and 2009 Finalist in ‘Book Beyond Words’ Exhibition. Bairnsdale Art Gallery. Vic. Books include writing, illustrating and construction.
Publications
Papercrafts: A Maker's Guide 2018 Victoria and Albert Museum Thames and Hudson
Community Artist
Roma has worked as a community artist teaching drawing and painting to adults and primary and secondary school children for many years in after school programs and art material suppliers. Currently she is teaching at Box Hill Community Arts Centre and Wonga Park Community Cottage in Melbourne.
Organisations
Roma is a member of the international group Papaer Artists Collective