Naomi Zouwer is a cross-disciplinary artist, researcher and arts educator based in Canberra/Kambri Australia. She works across drawing, printmaking, painting and textiles mediums making works that engage with ideas of cultural heritage, identity and the social role of personal objects.
In 2019, Naomi was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from the School of Art and Design at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. Prior to this, in 1997, she received her Graduate Diploma in Education and a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) from the University of Newcastle. Naomi is a Lecturer of Teacher Education specialising in the Creative Arts at the University of Canberra.
Naomi has exhibited widely in Australia including (but not limited to) the following galleries: The Finnish Embassy, Canberra, Megalo Print Studio and Grainger Gallery (2022), Michael Reid Murrundi Gallery Hunter Valley (solo 2021) and Michael Reid Northern Beaches Gallery Sydney (solo 2021), M16 Artspace Canberra (solo in 2020), Beaver Galleries, Canberra (group in 2020), Mayspace, Sydney (group show in 2019), Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman House (solo in 2019) and the Gaffa Gallery, Sydney (solo show 2019). Naomi has had work selected for numerous art prizes including; the Ravenswood Art Prize 2023, the Muswellbrook painting prize 2022, the Waverley Art Prize 2020, the Goulburn Art Award 2020, Lethbridge Small Scale Award, 2018; Kate Derum Tapestry Prize, 2016; Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award, 2015; M16 Drawing Prize, 2021, 2015 and the ANU School of Art and Design Drawing Prize, 2014.
Naomi has extensive experience in creative program design and delivery with children, teachers, researchers and communities. She specialises in creative processes and education design to improve learning outcomes, engagement, collaboration and development. Naomi has lead creative projects in collaboration with research and cultural institutions, and educational organisations from preschool to tertiary. Her approach is grounded in practice based research (building on her PhD with ANU), and over 25 years in the arts education and museum sectors.