Janice Oliver

“Home is more than a place— It’s a feeling, a sanctuary, and a collection of moments that shape our lives.”

Janice’s art journey began on a farm in Meckering. As a child she did naive pencil rubbings on paper, and little water colours during long walks taking in nature and the changing seasons. She left that all behind, pursuing a career as an agricultural scientist from the Kimberley, Brisbane, Esperance and eventually Canberra where she attended all the blockbuster art exhibitions. When she returned to Perth in 2018, she joined local community art classes and was selected to undertake a commission for a government annual report, present a poster at a conference, and enter the City of South Perth Emerging Artist Award. On the back of these surprising successes Janice decided to formally study art at North Metropolitan TAFE, which she graduated from with an Advanced Diploma in Visual Arts in December 2024. During this time, she won eight printmaking and photography local government and community art awards.

As a place-based artist, Janice’s bodies of work are focused on specific locations. The Ruins of My Life (2022-24) is about her family's experience of surviving the Meckering earthquake, becoming instantly homeless, and starting afresh in a new home on the property. Her TAFE Diploma work Shady, Edgy Laneway (2022), explores six months in a laneway in Northbridge, and the people, seasons, and events that came and went.

Janice has a sustainable slow, mindful art practice focusing on walking, and use of locally sourced and recycled/or repurposed materials to make paper and hand pulled prints. Through her six-month residency at Inglewood Arts Hub, she is engaging in the Inglewood community and the environment through strolling around the suburb and meeting people at the hub.

Collecting photographs, found objects and conversations along the way. She has met a variety of people engaged in a plethora of activities, of all ages and from all continents of the world. Life stories are shared, tears and laughter, especially when people are talking about their loved ones, pets, and favourite activities. The emotional impact of art is very important and dear to Janice, and she enjoys that art can be a healing practice and a way of building community connection.

Three place artists which further inspire Janice are the English artist Richard Long, who documents his walking practice. Kurt Schwitters, a German artist who created collages from items collected on walks when art materials were in short supply during World War II. Finally, John Wolseley, a Victorian place-based artist who often collaborates with Indigenous people, and uses elements from nature such as water and pigments and sometimes immerses his body, to create his art. Janice is also inspired by the Japanese aesthetic philosophy Wabi Sabi, which emphasises the beauty of imperfection.

With her infectious community spirit, Janice has launched her engagement project, Pulp Pop Ins (#PulpPopIns). She creates her own paper from recycled paper pulp, with locally sourced plant materials from her Inglewood walks. Visitors to her studio are invited to register their details in a book, then take a piece of paper and create a piece of artwork or prose on the paper and return it to her. The whole body of work will be curated as a group exhibition, where all participants, family and friends will be invited to a celebration and opening in late November 2025. The project is wonderfully diverse, deeply connected to the community, and reflects Janice' open-door approach. She loves welcoming people and fostering creativity through this process.

Janice's residency will culminate in the joint exhibition with fellow artist in residence, and print maker, Bruce Reid. The exhibition, Who'(i)s home in Inglewood? at Inglewood Arts Hub gallery runs from Tuesday 25th November to Saturday 6th December 2025 inclusive. With the official exhibition opening on Wednesday 26th November from 6 to 8pm.

Connect with Janice:

Instagram: @janice.oliver.artist

Website: https://janiceoliver.com.au