Chelle Destefano
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  • Home
  • About Chelle
  • Artworks / Projects
    • Drawing
    • Paintings
    • Works on paper
    • Multidisciplinary Artforms Installation and Performances
    • Sculpture
    • public art
    • photography
  • Exhibitions
  • C.V.
  • News
    • Blog
    • Works in Progress
  • Contact
  • media reviews
Multidisciplinary artist Melbourne, Australia
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Chelle Destefano is a multi-medium and multi-disciplinary Deaf woman artist working in performance art, textiles, drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and mixed media
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.
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
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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

Email

gypsysnail at hotmail com
Chelle Destefano - copyright 2013 - 2025
Picture
  • Home
  • About Chelle
  • Artworks / Projects
    • Drawing
    • Paintings
    • Works on paper
    • Multidisciplinary Artforms Installation and Performances
    • Sculpture
    • public art
    • photography
  • Exhibitions
  • C.V.
  • News
    • Blog
    • Works in Progress
  • Contact
  • media reviews