Biography
Kassandra Bossell works in sculpture and installation. Kassandra completed a Master of Fine Arts, UNSW Art and Design in 2018, a Bachelor of Visual Arts, Sydney College of the Arts in 1990 and a Bachelor of Arts, Sydney University in 1986.
Kassandra has had solo and group exhibitions both in Australia and overseas since 1991. She has completed commissions in a range of scales for leading Australian arts organizations including Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Museum, National Maritime Museum, SOCOG – Olympic Games Sydney 2000, Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, Powerhouse Museum, Old Parliament House, National Museum of Australia and Sydney International Airport, City of Sydney, Hurstville Council and Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority.
She has also worked with many community-based organizations such as Shopfront Theatre, ERTH Visual and Physical, Stalker Theatre Company, Peats Ridge Festival, Buku Larrnnguy Mulka Arts Centre, Mascon Festival, Mardi Gras, Woodford Festival, Newtown Festival, Sydney Community College and Bondi Pavilion.
Kassandra has lectured in Sculpture at the National Art School and held workshops at Macquarie University, Sydney Community College, Buku Larrnguy Mulka Arts Centre, NT, Casula Powerhouse, Chatswood Evening College, Manly Warringah Community College, Pine St Community Centre, The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability, IlluminARTe Festival, Mascon Festival, Escape Art Festival, CreARTivity Festival, Dungog Festival and several high schools.
Kassandra was awarded an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship 2016, a UNSW Art and Design HDR Faculty Travel Grant 2017, a Student Community and Development Grant 2016, an Art on the Greenway Grant 2016 from Leichhardt Council, an Artist to Artist Grant from NT Arts 2010 with Buku Larrnguy Mulka Art Centre, a CASPA Regional Art Grant 2010 and a NAVA Pat Corrigan Grant in 1993.
Artist Statement
My artwork focuses on human relationships within nature, exploring experiential, cultural and ecological interconnectivity. As an artist and environmental activist, my concerns are for communities both human and non-human affected by climate change and other ecological impacts of the Anthropocene.
Working with materiality and scale, I explore the interconnection of life forms through processes of transformation and cycles of life and death. My work engages interactive perspectives by connecting with science, imagination and memory. Often in response to specific sites or environments, my work is at once highly personal and enmeshed in a wider discourse about the human role within nature. Whilst retaining the situated relevance of local knowledges, this connection to wider contexts reflects and helps to manifest my interest in links between micro and macro worlds.
Life-long learning is a core value for me. I have been on many trips to Arnhem Land, learning from the indigenous Yolgnu nation whilst facilitating workshops, offering artist to artist skills and celebrating culture on remote communities by making sculpture and painting.
My current research area revolves around mutualism in the fields of ecology, post-humanist philosophy, evolutionary biology and ecofeminist art. I often work collaboratively and mentor other artists, students and interested community members. For my public art projects, I collaborate with colleagues and scientists to create transdisciplinary works.
