About
Kathy Gardiner is a self-taught artist, maker and illustrator that draws inspiration from the female form, nature, flora and fauna, fashion and the yesteryear. She predominantly favours the incorporation of simple form, colour and linework in her designs.
Expanding her creative focus to clay hand building and colourful illustrative ceramics as a medium of choice to create small keepsakes, wearables along with functional yet artistic vessels and dopamine décor.
Kathy enjoys the exploration and the possibilities of working with various mediums and mixing arts with crafts through mindful creation and slow art practices. Her creations are unique originals, one-offs, small batch or custom reproductions.
With a long varied corporate background, Kathy returned to her love of artistic creation following a terminal cancer prognosis. She is now thriving and living her creative passions.
Inspired by her travels, photography, nature, 1970s psychedelic posters, vintage book covers, fashion, street murals and art deco interiors; Kathy personally enjoys artworks that have a social importance impact that help to heal, enlighten, empower and inspire heart in the viewer. Kathy focuses on creating pieces that bring joy, functionality, spunk, social awareness and nostalgia to her work that can be treasured for years to come.
Kathy is the author and patient (wellness) advocate behind blog The Naked Gardiner. She has been a strong voice for terminal patients and continues to raise awareness and hope for cancer patients within Australia.
Also working in fashion production, Kathy is a keen vintage collector and sustainable/conscious fashion advocate and is striving towards adding fibre art and textile design to her self-taught repertoire. She believes art should be wearable and not limited to walls.
Kathy lives in inner Brisbane, Australia with her husband Anthony. She creates her unique designs from her home studio.
Feel free to get in touch!
ARTIST'S CV
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
SILICEOUS AWARD FOR CERAMIC EXCELLENCE EXHIBITION, Ceramic Arts Queensland, Metcalfe Gallery, Brisbane Institute of Art ~ FINALIST
2024
PARADISE GLOSS - NEXT EDITION, Side Gallery, Red Hill
2023
ACB SELECTS 2023, Online Curation, 'Floral Pinwheel Urn'
A hand selected online curation by Amber Creswell Bell, Director of Emerging Art - Michael Reid Galleries from the National Emerging Art Prize artists.
COMMUNE, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane ('Feeling TOPS' acquired by Museum of Brisbane)
A large scale collection of original 'memory vessels' featuring 250 ceramic artists from Brisbane showcasing the diversity and vigour of current ceramic practice within Brisbane.
VESSEL DEVOTION EXHIBITION, Plant Empire, Brisbane
Featuring original artworks from 50 local and interstate artists working in all media to demonstrate an interpretation of a functional or decorative vessel or container.
OUTSIDE INSIDE - Small Wonders Exhibition, Plant Empire, Brisbane
Annual exhibition of small works in all mediums that engage with the theme of "outside inside" featuring 100 works by 60 artists.
2018
ANON - Anonymous Art Exhibition, The Sunlight Centre, Brisbane
Anonymous art charity exhibition raising funds towards the crisis counselling centre to assist in the prevention of suicide and self harm.
INTERVIEWS
2023
Q&A with Museum of Brisbane, click here.
FACILITATING
2021
Shine From Within - Youth Mentoring
Drawing from Nature
2020
Creative Mornings - Brisbane Chapter
Nature (Theme)
PUBLISHED WORKS
2017
Earth Healing: Healing the earth to heal ourselves by Dr Mahdi Mason
Theme / Chapter Illustrator
FEATURED IN
2024
Frankie Magazine, Issue 121 - Frank Bits - p. 15
2023
Frankie Magazine, Issue 116 - Frank Bits - p. 12
Peppermint Magazine, Issue 59 - Limelight - p. 16
Kathy Gardiner is a sole trader under the business banner of The Naked Gardiner ABN 46457221736