Santina Amato is a video installation artist from Melbourne, Australia, dividing her time between her home town and the U.S.A. In 2012, she will be participating in a three month program as International Artist-in-Residence at NARS Foundation in New York where she intends to continue her investigation into carousels within the U.S to influence her practice and inspire new works.
Santina has recently returned to Australia following a 3 month research trip in Los Angeles where she held a volunteer position at Running Horses Studio, the only antique carousel restorer in Los Angeles, learning techniques such as gold leaf guilding and preparing/painting on wooden surfaces for future projects. She has two solo exhibitions booked within the next six months where she will exhibit her first works influenced by the carousel.
Santina has recently returned to Australia following a 3 month research trip in Los Angeles where she held a volunteer position at Running Horses Studio, the only antique carousel restorer in Los Angeles, learning techniques such as gold leaf guilding and preparing/painting on wooden surfaces for future projects. She has two solo exhibitions booked within the next six months where she will exhibit her first works influenced by the carousel.
For the most part of 2010 and early 2011, Santina worked and lived in the United States where she volunteered at and participated in contemporary art fairs, performance festivals, non-profit art institutions and commercial galleries. She has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Australia, Europe, China and in the United States of America within artist run spaces, commercial galleries and unconventional spaces.
In 2008 and 2010, Santina participated in three International Artist-in-Residence programs; two in Beijing, China and one in Berkeley, U.S.A. She has been awarded travel grants including the Ian Potter Cultural Trust Fund and has been a finalist in national awards such as the Toyota Spirit Emerging Art Award and The Churchie National Emerging Art Award. In 2010, Santina was granted an Honourable Mention by Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, U.S.A for their Fellowship Program.
In her graduating year, Santina won two prestigious awards and was invited to participate in Debut IV at Blindside, an exhibition of hand picked recent graduates from Melbourne’s Fine Arts Degrees. In 2006 whilst studying, Santina was a key organiser and exhibitor in PARKED!!, a student organised site-specific group exhibition as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. PARKED!! was awarded the 2006 Fringe Festival Award for Visual Arts. Santina Amato graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2007 and Honours in 2009.
