Camilla is a Naarm-based writer, artist and musician. Her artwork and written pieces have been published in various online and print publications including Going Down Swinging, Voiceworks, The Suburban Review, Stylo, n-SCRIBE and Maggie Journal. She has had commissions from clients such as The University of Melbourne, Vanity Projects, CHOP! Band, RedSea Pictures, The Royal Childrens’ Hospital Foundation and numerous private clients. In 2018, she was a graphic designer at the Australian Football League (AFL). From 2017-19, she was also the Arts Editor for The Suburban Review. Camilla has exhibited in multiple spaces including The 1897 Window Gallery (2016), Laundry Bar (2016), Little Drop of Poison (2018), Carolina Cafe and Bar (2018), Melbourne Polytechnic’s Illustre (2018), and Alter’s ‘Æxhibition’ (2018). In June 2020, she completed a public art installation for the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation as part of the 150 Years Public Art Trail. In December 2020, she curated a group show of which she was the lead artist at NOIR Darkroom, entitled @ home in the internet. You can watch one of her key pieces from the exhibition here. She is currently a member of Pink Ember Studio Collective and plays in the band ‘Fiz’. You can see more at @camillaeustance__
Camilla Eustance, ‘feeling it’, 2021
Camilla Eustance, ‘being it’, 2021
What is your work about & what medium do you use?
My practice is largely two-dimensional, divided between digital and traditional mediums. I feel most at home whilst painting (mostly in acrylic and gouache), though my work is often illustrative and drawing-based - as you can see in my ongoing 'overheards' series, where I simply capture funny things I overhear people saying.
How did your project come to be?
I was researching pictures of faces with eyes closed for a commission, and I did a lot of experimenting with abstract coloured lines and rectangles, which are elements I am continually drawn to for some mysterious reason. These pieces in my 'seeing it' series are the said experiments, where I also really delved into black and white digital painting. Though I love painting faces with colour, I'm increasingly interested in what happens when the colour is taken away and it falls down to tone, light and texture for the expression of the face.
Camilla Eustance, ‘breathing it’, 2021
Camilla Eustance, ‘hearing it’, 2021
How has your practice changed over time?
From a very representational base, my practice has morphed somewhat towards abstraction - and the exploration of what happens when the two are mixed up. I've also been exploring video art, using my love of acting and absurdism to fuel this, as well as connecting it to my until-now separate practice as a musician. Stay tuned!
Is there an emotional connection to the work you would like to share?
Just a pretty intangible feeling towards connection and the importance of stopping for a hot sec and reconnecting with the people and elements around you.
Where can the viewer see more of your work?
My i-gram is @camillaeustance__ (that's your best bet), but I also have a website: camillaceustance.wixsite.com/camilla
What is next for you?
I have a solo show coming up at Low Key Bar in mid 2022, so apart from commissions and miscellaneous art experiments, I'm going to be mainly working towards that.
