Zara Sully
Photo by Jade Sullivan
An internal resistance eventually combusted in 2016 when I realised that it was imperative in my life to become an artist. I am intrigued by the world around me, but also frustrated, and this desire to share my own experience through creative means is what led me to becoming an artist.
Art means everything to me. Art is my sustenance, my passion, and my curiosity.
I’ve got a lot of favourite experiences in art. Most recently, it would have to be the opening night of Queer Open at Sawtooth. This show saw us connect with our community beyond the arts, showcasing the talent of a multitude of artists, both local and national.
I'm the current Director at Sawtooth but immediately prior to that, I was programmed into the exhibition calendar and curated a group show (Yours, Queerly) with Brooke Van Der Linden in 2021. That same week the show opened, I began my role as Director.
Biography
Zara Sully is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and arts worker currently based in lutruwita (Launceston, Tasmania). Sully’s artistic practice contemplates an autobiographical and queer methodology. They are interested in forming collective communities through sharing their own personal experiences and relating to others. In Zara’s collaborative and community-driven curatorial practice, Sully is passionate about representing queer and under-represented artists who divulge personal histories and where this merges with the online and digital realm.
Sully holds a BFA (Honours) from the Victorian College Of The Arts (2018) and Monash University (2019). Previous projects include Angel Exchange (hosted by Bus Projects, 2020), On Screen in the Flesh (curator, exhibited at Trocadero Projects 2020), Yours Queerly (artist & co-curator with Brooke Van Der Linden, exhibited at Sawtooth ARI, 2021), and Flow (co-curated with Dr. Helen Whitty, a collaboration between Huon Valley Council and City of Launceston, 2022). Current projects include Ways of Knowing, a collaboration between the University of Tasmania and Sawtooth ARI. Sully is a board member of the Georges Mora Fellowship and is the current Director of Sawtooth ARI. Their work is held in many public and private collections across so-called Australia.
Sully’s favourite film is Twilight.