ABOUT

Laura Jade is an Australian illumination artist and interaction designer whose work fuses the multidisciplinary fields of art, biology, illumination design, neuroscience, and BCI (brain-computer interface) technology to explore new ways of perceiving and interacting with our inner biological processes.

Laura has a multidisciplinary background, holding a Master’s in Illumination Design from the University of Technology Sydney, a degree in Fine Art, and further studies in biology, science communication, curation, and museum studies.

Laura is also the creative director of Brainlight, an interactive brain installation that lights up with the power of your mind. In 2015 Laura completed her Master of Lighting Design alongside a research art residency at Culture At Work linking the multi-disciplinary fields of art, illumination design, neuroscience, and brain-computer interface technology through illuminated installations. She was subsequently invited to present a keynote demonstration of her project Brainlight at the ‘Hoy Es Diseno’ (Design of the Future) conference at ICESI University, Cali Colombia in 2015.

In 2016 Laura was artist in residence at NES studios in Iceland furthering her research in neuroscience and bio-rhythms and electromagnetic fields. During the same year, she was also an artist in residence at the Natural History Museum in Dubrovnik, Croatia, researching the Island of Lokrum and its connection to the preservation of nature through the “psycho-ecology” of curses. Her research resulted in an interactive exhibition at Lazareti Gallery in Dubrovnik. While in Europe, Laura was also invited to exhibit Brainlight at the new media art festival Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria.

Laura exhibited at the 2017 Athens Digital Art Festival in Greece and was one of six internationally invited artists to create work for the 500-year anniversary of Bach and Martin Luther which resulted in a traveling exhibition shown in the crypt of the Berliner Dom, in Berlin, Germany and Eisenach Cathedral, Germany.

Laura has had her work presented at many Australian festivals including Vivid, BEAMS, Woodford Folk Festival, and Sydney Science Festival. She has exhibited at major institutions across Australia, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Powerhouse Museum, the Australian Museum, the S.A Natural History Museum, and the National Archives in Canberra.

View PDF: Laura Jade CV_ 2023

EXHIBITIONS

ARTIST RESIDENCIES

2020 Artist in residence, Waverley artist studios, Sydney
2019 Guest Artist, Cité Internationale Des Arts, Paris, France
2019 Artist in Residence, Woollahra artist studio program, Sydney
2016 Artist in residence, NES Studios, Skagastrond, Iceland
2016 Artist in residence, The Icelandic Textile Centre, Blönduós, Iceland
2016 Artist in residence at UR institute, Dubrovnik Natural History Museum, Croatia
2015 Art + Science research residency at Culture At Work, Sydney
2012 Invited artist in residence for the 44th International Artist Residency and Symposium, Gyor, Hungary

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

2021 CBD Activation Grant recipient, City Of Sydney
2019 Carstairs Grant Recipient, National Association for the Visual Arts
2016 Finalist, World of Wearable Art Competition, Queens Wharf, wellington, New Zealand
2014 Finalist, Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, SA Museum
2014 Finalist, Chippendale New World Art Prize, NG Gallery, Sydney
2013 Winner, Toulouse Lautrec portrait competition, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
2012 Finalist, Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, S.A Museum, Adelaide, Awarded “Highly Commended” and chosen for Travelling Exhibition, National Archives of Australia, Canberra
2012 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize Finalist, Double Bay, Sydney
2011 Lloyd Rees Youth Art Award Finalist, Lane Cove Gallery, Sydney
2011 Patron Award, Brain Art Exhibition, Global Gallery, Sydney
2003-2004 Scholarship award, Life Drawing Short Course, National Art School,  Sydney
2003 Scholarship award, Drawing and Illustration Short Course, Whitehouse Institute of Fashion and Design, Sydney

PUBLISHED PAPERS

Jade L., Gentle S. (2019) New Ways of Knowing Ourselves. BCI Facilitating Artistic Exploration of Our Biology. In: Nijholt A. (eds) Brain Art. Springer, Cham

PDF: New Ways of Knowing Ourselves. BCI Facilitating Artistic Exploration of Our Biology

PUBLIC TALKS

2020 Coffee in The Studio, conversations between artists & scientists, National Science Week, Australia
2020 Podcast interview for Johnnys Journeys, FM4 Radio, Vienna, Austria
2020 Light, Art & The Brain, Guest lecture, Macquarie University, Biological Sciences Faculty
2019 The Teenage Brain, Cobham Juvenile Justice Centre, Werrington
2019 Light, Art & The Brain, Guest lecture, University of Technology, Sydney
2018 Light, Art & The Brain, Nerd Nite, Rag & Famish Hotel, Sydney
2018 Light, Art & The Brain, Vivid Festival, Sydney
2018 Artist interview, 2SER Community Radio Station, Sydney
2017 Postfuture, Artist Lecture, Athens Digital Art Festival, Greece
2016 Micro Botany of Iceland, Artist Talk, Colab Gallery, Sydney
2016 A Night Of Disruptive Ideas, Vivid Ideas, Cell block Theatre, National Art School, Sydney
2015 Presented a keynote presentation at Hoy Es Diseno (Design Today) Conference, ICESI University, Cali, Colombia
2015 Brainwave Dinner Lecture, Pyrmont Festival, Culture At Work, Sydney
2015 Backyard Bio-Tech Talk, Biofoundry, Sydney
2015  Brainlight presentation & demonstration, Sydney Science Festival, Australian Museum, Sydney
2015 Brainlight presentation, Sydney Maker Faire, MAAS Museum, Sydney

ARTICLES

COFFEE IN THE STUDIO
RADIO 4 AUSTRIA
ART THE SCIENCE
THE CREATORS PROJECT 
VOLUMETRIC MAGAZINE
TREND HUNTER
ILLUMNI
RALLA 
UTS
DIFFUSION RADIO
DAILY TELEGRAPH
SCOOP IT
AMUSINE

EDUCATION

2014-2015 Masters of Illumination Design, University Of Technology, Sydney
2013-2014 Masters of Art Curation and Museum Studies, University of Sydney
2012-2013 Bachelor of Science (Biology) with a Bachelor of Arts (Science communication)
2005-2007 Bachelor of Fine Art, National Art School, Sydney