Katharine Buljan is a Sydney-based artist and independent scholar.
She has exhibited her paintings in Australia, Italy, Hong Kong and Sweden and has received a number of awards. In 2016 she was selected for Directors Cut (online exhibition) at the 64th Blake Prize for Religious Art. In 2015 Katharine has been an artist in residence at the University of Tasmania (Launceston), and an artist in residence in Sydney (A. R. P. Artist Residency Program). Also in 2015, Katharine has been a finalist at the Mosman Art Prize and Albany Art Prize. In 2013, she was selected as a finalist for the 62nd Blake Prize for Religious Art. In 1995, Katharine was awarded a European Parchment at the XV Review of Contemporary Art in Galleria Forum Interart in Rome. Other art prizes she has won include first place in the foreign artists section at the II International Festival of Contemporary Painting in Sanremo (1994), and Plaque “Colosseum” (1993) – an Italian art prize.
Katharine’s theoretical training and research strongly underpin and complement her art practice. She was awarded a PhD (Arts) from the University of Sydney in 2007 and has completed a Master of Arts (Hons) at the University of Western Sydney, Nepean (1998) and a Master of Animation at the University of Technology, Sydney (2008).
She is the co-author of the book on Japanese animation titled Anime, Religion and Spirituality: Profane and Sacred Worlds in Contemporary Japan (Equinox, 2015).
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
PhD, University of Sydney, Sydney (awarded 2007)
Master of Animation, University of Technology, Sydney
Master of Arts (Hons), University of Western Sydney, Sydney
Diploma in Painting, Academia di Belle Arti, Rome, Italy
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Launceston's Playful Spirits, University of Tasmania, Inveresk, Launceston
Dynamics of Phenomenology of Self, T. A. P. Gallery, Sydney
Is There Life Before Death, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Awakening, 2-person exhibition, Eden and the Willow, Sydney, Australia
Directors Cut at the 64th Blake Prize for Religious Art, the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Casula (online exhibition)
Mosman Art Prize 2015, Mosman Art Gallery, Mosman
Albany Art Prize 2015, Albany, Western Australia
Introducing, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
The 62nd Blake Prize for Religious Art, Galleries of University of New South Wales, COFA, Art, Media and Design, UNSW, Sydney
Luci di Natale 3 - 6a Rassegna Internazionale di Arte Contemporanea, Arte Del Terzo Millenio, Cascina Farsetti, Villa Doria Pamphili, Rome, Italy
Metropolis, 2-person exhibition, GAFFA Gallery, Sydney
Ephemeral Moments, 2-person exhibition, Trocadero Art Space, Melbourne
Relations, Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, NSW
The Fourth International Female Artist’s Art Annual, Art Addiction International Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
UWS Campus Prize Exhibition, University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, NSW
Springboard - Art Carnival Event, (Opened by Hon. Philip Ruddock, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) AMES, Parramatta, NSW
XV Review of Contemporary Art 1995, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
II International Festival of Contemporary Painting, Centro d’Arte e Cultura ‘La Tavolozza’ Sanremo, Italy
Art and Words, Fair Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Biennale Romana’94, Galleria Spazio Visivo, Rome, Italy
1st Bienniale d’Arte Moderna Contemporanea, Istituto Tecnico Ragioneri n. 3, Sassari, Italy
Arte Spoleto - Festival’94, Review of Contemporary International Art, Galleria Forum Interart in Via Salaria Vecchia, Spoleto, Italy
La Telaccia d’Oro 1994, 19th Competition, Galleria ‘La Telaccia’, Turin, Italy
Primavera 1994, Galleria Centro Storico, Florence, Italy
Premio Italia 1994 Arte, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
Picasso e Le Donne, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
Primavera 1994, Galleria Centro Storico, Florence, Italy
Natale Forum, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
Artisti Contemporanei, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
Omaggio a Miro, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
SELECTED AWARDS / RECOGNITIONS
Selected for 'Directors Cut' at the 64th Blake Prize for Religious Art, the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Casula
Finalist at the Mosman Art Prize 2015, Mosman Art Gallery, Mosman, Sydney
Finalist at the Albany Art Prize 2015, Albany, Western Australia
Finalist at the 62nd Blake Prize for Religious Art, Galleries UNSW, COFA, Art Media Design, UNSW, Paddington, Sydney
Diploma of Excellence, The Fourth International Female Artists, Art Annual Art Addiction International Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
Awarded a European Parchment: “To have contributed with esteemed masterpiece to the spreading and exaltation of art values and European Culture”, XV Review of Contemporary Art, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
First Place in the foreign artists section, II International Festival of Contemporary Painting, Centro d’Art e Cultura ‘La Tavolozza’, Sanremo, Italy
Diploma, recognised as “Distinct” artist in the section of painting, Premio Art and Words, Fair Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Prize and Attestation of Merit, Biennale Romana’94, Galleria Spazio Visivo, Rome, Italy
Diploma of Honour, 1st Bienniale d’Arte Moderna Contemporanea, Istituto Tecnico Ragioneri No. 3, Sassari, Italy
A Cup Prize of Italy ’94 and Certificate of Recognition, Premio D’Italia ’94, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
Plaque ‘Colosseum’, Artisti Contemporanei ’93, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
Plaque ‘Ommagio a Miro’, Omaggio a Miro — celebrating one hundred years since the birth of the Spanish artist Juan Miro, Galleria Forum Interart, Rome, Italy
COLLECTIONS
The Ward Library, University of Western Sydney, Nepean, Sydney, Australia
Domus Croata Beato Ivan Merz, Rome, Italy
Works are held in private collections in Australia, Italy, Finland and Switzerland
BOOKS & PUBLICATIONS
Buljan, K. 'Spirituality-Struck: Anime and Religio-Spiritual Devotional Practices' in Carole M. Cusack and Pavol Kosnac (eds), Fiction, invention and Hyper-reality: From Popular Culture to Religion. INFORM Volume. UK: Ashgate. – BOOK CHAPTER
Buljan, K. and Carole M. Cusack. Anime, Religion and Spirituality: Profane and Sacred Worlds in Contemporary Japan. UK: Equinox. – BOOK
Buljan, K. ‘Animated Film: Genres and Audiences – Western and Japanese Animated Films’, Lumina: Australian Journal of Screen Arts and Business, AFTRS, issue 4, pp. 193-208. – ACADEMIC ARTICLE
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Buljan, K. 2010, ‘SIAF 2010 (Sydney), Conference Report’, Society for Animation Studies Newsletter, Vol. 23, Issue 2, Fall, pp. 11-15.
Buljan, K. 2009, ‘The Uncanny and the Robot in the Astro Boy episode Franken’, Animation Studies: Peer-reviewed Online Journal for Animation History and Theory [Animated Dialogues Journal Issue], Society for Animation Studies
Buljan, K, 2009, ‘Sydney Animation News 2008’ consisting of ‘AIAF 2008 at the University of Technology, Sydney’ and ‘Sydney’s Young and Promising Talent, Graduate Design Show 2008, The University of Technology, Sydney’ and ‘Animania Festival 2008’, Society for Animation Studies Newsletter, Vol. 22, Issue 1, Spring, pp. 13-20.
Buljan, K. 2008, ‘Marion Borgelt’, Design and Art Australia Online, June
Buljan, K. and Hartney, C. 2008, ‘Ken Unsworth’, Design and Art Australia Online, May
Buljan, K. 2008, ‘Sydney Animation Events 2007-2008’ consisting of ‘First Wave: Celebrating the Outstanding Achievements of the Master of Animation First Generation of Graduates’ and ‘Animania (Sydney)’, Society for Animation Studies Newsletter, Vol. 21, Issue 1, Spring, pp. 16-17.