Chelle Destefano, a Deaf artist, born in 1979 and currently lives in Melbourne, Victoria. She lived in Adelaide, South Australia for 18 years where she cultivated her arts career. She has been practicing her arts since 2016 and exhibiting since 2006 and most recently as an international artist in Europe. She exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2015 and Paris and London in 2016, Berlin and Rome in 2017. She was one of the 8 artists in an Arts Exchange for Berlin with Arts Access Australia in October 2017 that successfully cultivated a host of art programs with other Australian artists and Berlin artists. They included workshops run by the artists and exhibitions as part of the Berlin arts festival.
She works with watercolour, ink, acrylic, gouache and mixed media to communicate her stories on past lives and living in the now. She is beginning to work in other artforms that include art installations and performance art to compliment her visual art works.
Some of her works are compelling, particularly the visuals of abandoned places and the ghosts that linger and some of those stories transfer to the emotions of viewers who recognise that it's also their story too, perhaps past lives are felt in her artworks. Many people feel drawn to have an original Chelle piece of art due to this intangible connection.
Chelle has a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Applied Design (2006) from SA (South Australia) Arts School. She consistently works on a body of artwork of a particular theme at one time, to produce a moving series of works that are perfect for the exhibition environment.
She works with watercolour, ink, acrylic, gouache and mixed media to communicate her stories on past lives and living in the now. She is beginning to work in other artforms that include art installations and performance art to compliment her visual art works.
Some of her works are compelling, particularly the visuals of abandoned places and the ghosts that linger and some of those stories transfer to the emotions of viewers who recognise that it's also their story too, perhaps past lives are felt in her artworks. Many people feel drawn to have an original Chelle piece of art due to this intangible connection.
Chelle has a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Applied Design (2006) from SA (South Australia) Arts School. She consistently works on a body of artwork of a particular theme at one time, to produce a moving series of works that are perfect for the exhibition environment.
Chelle Destefano - Artist CV
Studies
2001 – 2006 Bachelor of Visual Arts and Applied Design – O’Halloran Hill TAFE Campus
2008 – 2009 Cert IV in Screen and Animation – Hamilton College (Adult Education Department)
Awards/Scholarships
2018 Recipient of the microgrant for the Fringe Festival Melbourne
2018 Regional Arts Victoria grant recipient for the Sydney Other Art Fair
2017 Selected as one of the five leading artists for the Berlin Arts Exchange, Berlin, Germany
2016 Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS Website Featured Artist Award, Manhattan, New York
2016 Australian Arts Council grant - funding for Paris and London exhibitions
2016 Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding for Wait of World Exhibition in Melbourne
2015 Selected to show in a juried art show in Paris
2015 Arts SA Makers and Presenter’s Grant for Blue Ghosts Exhibition in Melbourne, March 2015
2015 Acquired by Art Images Gallery, Norwood for ongoing consignments of my watercolour illustrations
2014 Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding to attend Arts Activated Conference, October 2014
2014 Dawn Slade-Faull Award – Painting/illustration
2014 Major Prize Award – Public Exhibition Award by Art Images Gallery; Abandoned Room I, Adelaide Royal Show
2014 First Prize Award in Open Encouragement Special Award, for One Year’s Membership at Adelaide Art Society – Salty Lime Café, Adelaide Royal Show
Solo Exhibitions
2018 (Upcoming) November - FernArtz Gallery, Coburg, Melbourne
The story of the Baby Moon - a collection of illustrations
2018 September - Experimental Art Installation Exhibition of The Cot story
Melbourne Fringe Festival, Avondale Heights Library Gallery space
2017 October - Berlin Pop Up Exhibition of Enchanted Collection with Arts Access Australia
Berlin, Germany
Workshop teaching, leading tour exhibition, studio work of Enchanted series and solo exhibition
2017 August - Volkys Collection in SALA Festival
Dulwich Bakery, Dulwich, South Australia (matching the coffee cups they were printed on)
2016 October - Blue Ghosts Abroad
Australian Embassy, London, UK
and Severndroogs Castle, UK
Exhibition of Blue Ghost works including new works
2016 September - Chelle's Collections in Paris!
Galerie Metanoia, Paris, France
Exhibition of ranges of collections including the popular Blue Ghost works, volky series, Europe 2015 works, and the Rainbow Abstract collection
2016 August - Wait of World II in SALA Festival
City Library, Rundle Mall, Adelaide South Australia
2016 May - June - Wait of the World
Gasworks, Art Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
Exhibition of works relating to the world changes and the perceptions within, A1 sized watercolour illustrations
2015 November - Venice Biennale, Italy, Ca' Zanardi Palezzo
Collection of Blue Ghost artworks; 4 pieces
2015 October – November – Volky’s Adventures II
Art Images Gallery, Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia
Solo exhibition featuring all large sized (A2 - A1 size) watercolour illustrations of Taxi and other Volkys on Adventures Series II
2015 June – Inking History - Thebarton
West Torrens Council Gallery
Solo exhibition of illustrations on the heritage buildings of Hindmarsh, Adelaide, South Australia
2015 April – Onkaparinga Celebration Month
Manolis Mezes Café
Solo Exhibition on illustrations of Port Noarlunga’s main street shops
2015 March – April – Roam the Blue Ghosts I
House of Bricks, Collingwood, Melbourne
Solo exhibition on ghosts in abandoned places in watercolour illustrations
2014 September – October - Semaphore Art Walk
Semaphore Road (Semaphore’s main street) in conjunction with Semaphore Street Assoc. exhibiting my artworks in 7 different shops
2014 August - Rainbow World Series 2
Adelaide Convention Centre – SALA Festival
Exhibition of Further Advanced Rainbow Works on Wood 2 (Paintings) for the SALA Festival
2014 May to June - Port Noarlunga My Home Town
Port Noarlunga Arts Centre
Solo exhibition of watercolour drawings of the town Port Noarlunga
2014 April to May - Rainbow World Series 1
SA Writers Centre
Rainbow Works on Wood 1 (Paintings)
2014 Jan to Feb - Thickened Gesso set
Manolis Mezes Café in Port Noarlunga
Group Exhibitions
2018 (Upcoming) November - The Flow Festival, The Cot Story Extended
2018 August - The Other Fair, Melbourne, Australia
2018 May - The Skin Gallery show duo with Luke King. Exhibition of two Deaf artists
2018 March - The Other Fair, Sydney, Australia
2018 January - ArtSpace Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia
2018 January - Mornington Art Show, Victoria, Australia
Me & Baby Moon portrait
2017 October - Rome Arts Expo
Me & Baby Moon portrait
2017 March - London Biennale
Two Blue Ghost pieces
2016 Dec - Juried Art Show: A Single Grain of Rice, Gallery Metanoia, Paris
Four watercolour illustrations
2016 August - Hill Starters in SALA Festival
Reunion exhibition for students from O'Halloran Hill Arts School at Artisan Framing Gallery
2016 July to September - The Healing Power of ART 2016 Exhibition
Manhattan Arts International
2016 July to September - Venice Architect Biennale, Venice Art House, Venice, Italy
Blood Red Moon artwork
2016 July - Duo with Kathy Smith
Artisan Framing Gallery
2016 April - NOW Exhibition at Artisan Framing Gallery
2015 December - Juried Art Show: A Single Grain of Rice, Gallery Metanoia, Paris, France
Three watercolour illustrations
2014 Christmas Exhibition - Art Images, Norwood, SA
Collection of illustrations of Taxi’s Adventures (3 watercolour works)
2014 October – Volky Adventures Collaboration
Adelaide Convention Centre as a second invitation for Artbeat
Volky Adventures I in watercolour by me, and mosaics by new emerging artist Roberta Sassi
Residencies
2018 July - abstract practices, Cairns Studio Space, Cairns, QLD
2017 June - Miniature Artworks project, Wonthaggi, Victoria
Commissions
2018 - Public/Private, mural for law firm
- Private, Cairns garden painting
- Private, Large typewriter drawing for CEO of Skin Cancer Clinic
- Private, set of sculptures for interior designer in Sydney
- Private, Portraiture for Deaf couple
- Private, Portraiture for successful Deaf performer
2017 - Private, bird on tree
- Private, boat at sea
- Private, Byron Bay setting celebrating woman's successes
- Public, Third deck collaboration, Astral theme (Ancient Memories)
2016 - Various commissions ordered on themes including Blue Ghosts, Venice collection and Volksy Adventures Collection
- Second deck collaboration, Carnival theme with the same global group that created the tarot deck earlier in 2014, designing one card for the deck (Astrological Clock)
2015 - Second deck collaboration of Nautical theme with the same global group that created the tarot deck earlier in 2014, designing one card for the deck
- Five private commissions for people relating to their favourite things, family and pets, their life stories
- Corporate/Public: big body of work of a historical town for the council of West Torrens
2014 - Typewriter and Camera duo, private commission
- illustrations for a ceramic artist (this is in progress now)
- First and Limited Edition deck collaboration of Fantasy theme with a global group, designing one card for the deck
- Rainbow abstracts (private commissions):
August – 1m x 1m Rainbow abstract
June – 3 piece large Rainbow abstract work at 500mm x 450mm each piece
March – Rainbow abstract work 600mm x 600mm, framed
2013 December - illustration on A1 size paper for a customer, representing their friend’s favourite objects and events
Feburary - Illustration of book cover for Deaf Australian Story Part II by Carol O’Reilly, published by Bilby
Publishing
January - Illustration of book cover for Siblings book by Katherine Smyth, published by Ink Publication
Experiences
2017 Ask-Me-Anything event about my artworks - see this event publication at this link here AMA.
2015 Teaching at a Workshop under Access2Arts - for artists who want to learn how to market their arts
2014 Attended Arts Activated Conference and was invited by international art bodies to show my art in the UK for 2015 and 2016
2014 Art Teacher at Brighton Primary School, guest role leading to an invitation to do a Christmas special and then ongoing once a term in 2015 pending approval from the principle – October 2014
2014 Guest speaker about my arts at Windsor Gardens Secondary College – July 2014
Publications
2018 Write up on my exhibition in the Sydney Other Art Fair on Accessible Arts website
http://www.aarts.net.au/whats-on/the-other-art-fair/
2017 Feature article by art packing specialists Pack and Send as one of their customers
https://blog.packsend.com.au/chelle-destefano
2017 My artwork on coffee cup from Dulwich featured in Herald Sun
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/envirofriendly-recyclable-coffee-cup-launches-in-melbourne/news-story/461f3c3b60d2d85a4691c3bc7fc5b3a6
2017 Chelle's artworks on coffee cups at Dulwich bakeries featured in Adelaide's Advertiser 24 May 2017
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/dulwich-bakery-outlets-feature-sala-art-works-on-collectable-coffee-cups/news-story/11f41005c54f93d19bf514711288605f
2017 Critique by International Confederation of Art Critics, UK
http://international-confederation-art-critics.org/chelle-destefano-critique
2016 Newspaper article on my workshop in Bath, UK
https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/community/deaf-artist-visits-action-hearing-loss-educational-art-workshop-bath-69390/
2016 Chelle as the Winner of the Featured Artist Award in 'The Healing Power of Art Exhibition', Manhattan, New York by Renee Phillips
http://www.healing-power-of-art.org/chelle-destefano-award-winning-featured-artist/
2016 Chelle's upcoming exhibition in Paris - by WideWalls, a Paris Arts magazine
http://www.widewalls.ch/visual-narrative-chelle-destefano-art-galerie-metanoia-paris/
2016 Story on a Deaf Artist by Artsy Shark - http://www.artsyshark.com/2016/06/16/a-deaf-artist-offers-inspiration/
2016 Video interview by Turquoise IAuslan at my Wait of the World art exhibition at Gasworks, Melbourne
https://www.facebook.com/turquoiseaustralia/?fref=ts
2016 The Society Quarterly Magazine
My showcase of the Wheatsheaf artwork and about my winning in the Adelaide Royal
Show in 2014 and 2015
2015 Empty Easel online art magazine: article on my watercolour works, May 2015
http://emptyeasel.com/2015/05/27/chelle-destefano-fantastically-quirky-watercolor-illustrations/
2015 Talking Points quarterly magazine of City of West Torrens, Adelaide, South Australia, Autumn 2015 Edition. One page featuring my artworks on the historical buildings of Thebarton, in the West Torrens area
2015 Crowd Crux on my Kickstarter project about Roam the Blue Ghosts Art project at www.crowdcrux.com/symbiotic-patronage-backers-creators-creators-backers/
2015 The Amazing Australian Artists book – two page spread of my arts and bio
2014 SA Life on the Semaphore Art Walk
Studies
2001 – 2006 Bachelor of Visual Arts and Applied Design – O’Halloran Hill TAFE Campus
2008 – 2009 Cert IV in Screen and Animation – Hamilton College (Adult Education Department)
Awards/Scholarships
2018 Recipient of the microgrant for the Fringe Festival Melbourne
2018 Regional Arts Victoria grant recipient for the Sydney Other Art Fair
2017 Selected as one of the five leading artists for the Berlin Arts Exchange, Berlin, Germany
2016 Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS Website Featured Artist Award, Manhattan, New York
2016 Australian Arts Council grant - funding for Paris and London exhibitions
2016 Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding for Wait of World Exhibition in Melbourne
2015 Selected to show in a juried art show in Paris
2015 Arts SA Makers and Presenter’s Grant for Blue Ghosts Exhibition in Melbourne, March 2015
2015 Acquired by Art Images Gallery, Norwood for ongoing consignments of my watercolour illustrations
2014 Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding to attend Arts Activated Conference, October 2014
2014 Dawn Slade-Faull Award – Painting/illustration
2014 Major Prize Award – Public Exhibition Award by Art Images Gallery; Abandoned Room I, Adelaide Royal Show
2014 First Prize Award in Open Encouragement Special Award, for One Year’s Membership at Adelaide Art Society – Salty Lime Café, Adelaide Royal Show
Solo Exhibitions
2018 (Upcoming) November - FernArtz Gallery, Coburg, Melbourne
The story of the Baby Moon - a collection of illustrations
2018 September - Experimental Art Installation Exhibition of The Cot story
Melbourne Fringe Festival, Avondale Heights Library Gallery space
2017 October - Berlin Pop Up Exhibition of Enchanted Collection with Arts Access Australia
Berlin, Germany
Workshop teaching, leading tour exhibition, studio work of Enchanted series and solo exhibition
2017 August - Volkys Collection in SALA Festival
Dulwich Bakery, Dulwich, South Australia (matching the coffee cups they were printed on)
2016 October - Blue Ghosts Abroad
Australian Embassy, London, UK
and Severndroogs Castle, UK
Exhibition of Blue Ghost works including new works
2016 September - Chelle's Collections in Paris!
Galerie Metanoia, Paris, France
Exhibition of ranges of collections including the popular Blue Ghost works, volky series, Europe 2015 works, and the Rainbow Abstract collection
2016 August - Wait of World II in SALA Festival
City Library, Rundle Mall, Adelaide South Australia
2016 May - June - Wait of the World
Gasworks, Art Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
Exhibition of works relating to the world changes and the perceptions within, A1 sized watercolour illustrations
2015 November - Venice Biennale, Italy, Ca' Zanardi Palezzo
Collection of Blue Ghost artworks; 4 pieces
2015 October – November – Volky’s Adventures II
Art Images Gallery, Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia
Solo exhibition featuring all large sized (A2 - A1 size) watercolour illustrations of Taxi and other Volkys on Adventures Series II
2015 June – Inking History - Thebarton
West Torrens Council Gallery
Solo exhibition of illustrations on the heritage buildings of Hindmarsh, Adelaide, South Australia
2015 April – Onkaparinga Celebration Month
Manolis Mezes Café
Solo Exhibition on illustrations of Port Noarlunga’s main street shops
2015 March – April – Roam the Blue Ghosts I
House of Bricks, Collingwood, Melbourne
Solo exhibition on ghosts in abandoned places in watercolour illustrations
2014 September – October - Semaphore Art Walk
Semaphore Road (Semaphore’s main street) in conjunction with Semaphore Street Assoc. exhibiting my artworks in 7 different shops
2014 August - Rainbow World Series 2
Adelaide Convention Centre – SALA Festival
Exhibition of Further Advanced Rainbow Works on Wood 2 (Paintings) for the SALA Festival
2014 May to June - Port Noarlunga My Home Town
Port Noarlunga Arts Centre
Solo exhibition of watercolour drawings of the town Port Noarlunga
2014 April to May - Rainbow World Series 1
SA Writers Centre
Rainbow Works on Wood 1 (Paintings)
2014 Jan to Feb - Thickened Gesso set
Manolis Mezes Café in Port Noarlunga
Group Exhibitions
2018 (Upcoming) November - The Flow Festival, The Cot Story Extended
2018 August - The Other Fair, Melbourne, Australia
2018 May - The Skin Gallery show duo with Luke King. Exhibition of two Deaf artists
2018 March - The Other Fair, Sydney, Australia
2018 January - ArtSpace Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia
2018 January - Mornington Art Show, Victoria, Australia
Me & Baby Moon portrait
2017 October - Rome Arts Expo
Me & Baby Moon portrait
2017 March - London Biennale
Two Blue Ghost pieces
2016 Dec - Juried Art Show: A Single Grain of Rice, Gallery Metanoia, Paris
Four watercolour illustrations
2016 August - Hill Starters in SALA Festival
Reunion exhibition for students from O'Halloran Hill Arts School at Artisan Framing Gallery
2016 July to September - The Healing Power of ART 2016 Exhibition
Manhattan Arts International
2016 July to September - Venice Architect Biennale, Venice Art House, Venice, Italy
Blood Red Moon artwork
2016 July - Duo with Kathy Smith
Artisan Framing Gallery
2016 April - NOW Exhibition at Artisan Framing Gallery
2015 December - Juried Art Show: A Single Grain of Rice, Gallery Metanoia, Paris, France
Three watercolour illustrations
2014 Christmas Exhibition - Art Images, Norwood, SA
Collection of illustrations of Taxi’s Adventures (3 watercolour works)
2014 October – Volky Adventures Collaboration
Adelaide Convention Centre as a second invitation for Artbeat
Volky Adventures I in watercolour by me, and mosaics by new emerging artist Roberta Sassi
Residencies
2018 July - abstract practices, Cairns Studio Space, Cairns, QLD
2017 June - Miniature Artworks project, Wonthaggi, Victoria
Commissions
2018 - Public/Private, mural for law firm
- Private, Cairns garden painting
- Private, Large typewriter drawing for CEO of Skin Cancer Clinic
- Private, set of sculptures for interior designer in Sydney
- Private, Portraiture for Deaf couple
- Private, Portraiture for successful Deaf performer
2017 - Private, bird on tree
- Private, boat at sea
- Private, Byron Bay setting celebrating woman's successes
- Public, Third deck collaboration, Astral theme (Ancient Memories)
2016 - Various commissions ordered on themes including Blue Ghosts, Venice collection and Volksy Adventures Collection
- Second deck collaboration, Carnival theme with the same global group that created the tarot deck earlier in 2014, designing one card for the deck (Astrological Clock)
2015 - Second deck collaboration of Nautical theme with the same global group that created the tarot deck earlier in 2014, designing one card for the deck
- Five private commissions for people relating to their favourite things, family and pets, their life stories
- Corporate/Public: big body of work of a historical town for the council of West Torrens
2014 - Typewriter and Camera duo, private commission
- illustrations for a ceramic artist (this is in progress now)
- First and Limited Edition deck collaboration of Fantasy theme with a global group, designing one card for the deck
- Rainbow abstracts (private commissions):
August – 1m x 1m Rainbow abstract
June – 3 piece large Rainbow abstract work at 500mm x 450mm each piece
March – Rainbow abstract work 600mm x 600mm, framed
2013 December - illustration on A1 size paper for a customer, representing their friend’s favourite objects and events
Feburary - Illustration of book cover for Deaf Australian Story Part II by Carol O’Reilly, published by Bilby
Publishing
January - Illustration of book cover for Siblings book by Katherine Smyth, published by Ink Publication
Experiences
2017 Ask-Me-Anything event about my artworks - see this event publication at this link here AMA.
2015 Teaching at a Workshop under Access2Arts - for artists who want to learn how to market their arts
2014 Attended Arts Activated Conference and was invited by international art bodies to show my art in the UK for 2015 and 2016
2014 Art Teacher at Brighton Primary School, guest role leading to an invitation to do a Christmas special and then ongoing once a term in 2015 pending approval from the principle – October 2014
2014 Guest speaker about my arts at Windsor Gardens Secondary College – July 2014
Publications
2018 Write up on my exhibition in the Sydney Other Art Fair on Accessible Arts website
http://www.aarts.net.au/whats-on/the-other-art-fair/
2017 Feature article by art packing specialists Pack and Send as one of their customers
https://blog.packsend.com.au/chelle-destefano
2017 My artwork on coffee cup from Dulwich featured in Herald Sun
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/envirofriendly-recyclable-coffee-cup-launches-in-melbourne/news-story/461f3c3b60d2d85a4691c3bc7fc5b3a6
2017 Chelle's artworks on coffee cups at Dulwich bakeries featured in Adelaide's Advertiser 24 May 2017
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/dulwich-bakery-outlets-feature-sala-art-works-on-collectable-coffee-cups/news-story/11f41005c54f93d19bf514711288605f
2017 Critique by International Confederation of Art Critics, UK
http://international-confederation-art-critics.org/chelle-destefano-critique
2016 Newspaper article on my workshop in Bath, UK
https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/community/deaf-artist-visits-action-hearing-loss-educational-art-workshop-bath-69390/
2016 Chelle as the Winner of the Featured Artist Award in 'The Healing Power of Art Exhibition', Manhattan, New York by Renee Phillips
http://www.healing-power-of-art.org/chelle-destefano-award-winning-featured-artist/
2016 Chelle's upcoming exhibition in Paris - by WideWalls, a Paris Arts magazine
http://www.widewalls.ch/visual-narrative-chelle-destefano-art-galerie-metanoia-paris/
2016 Story on a Deaf Artist by Artsy Shark - http://www.artsyshark.com/2016/06/16/a-deaf-artist-offers-inspiration/
2016 Video interview by Turquoise IAuslan at my Wait of the World art exhibition at Gasworks, Melbourne
https://www.facebook.com/turquoiseaustralia/?fref=ts
2016 The Society Quarterly Magazine
My showcase of the Wheatsheaf artwork and about my winning in the Adelaide Royal
Show in 2014 and 2015
2015 Empty Easel online art magazine: article on my watercolour works, May 2015
http://emptyeasel.com/2015/05/27/chelle-destefano-fantastically-quirky-watercolor-illustrations/
2015 Talking Points quarterly magazine of City of West Torrens, Adelaide, South Australia, Autumn 2015 Edition. One page featuring my artworks on the historical buildings of Thebarton, in the West Torrens area
2015 Crowd Crux on my Kickstarter project about Roam the Blue Ghosts Art project at www.crowdcrux.com/symbiotic-patronage-backers-creators-creators-backers/
2015 The Amazing Australian Artists book – two page spread of my arts and bio
2014 SA Life on the Semaphore Art Walk
