M A R I S A M U

Marisa Mu is an interdisciplinary artist currently based between Melbourne and New York. Her work explores themes of Queer Expression, Intersectional Feminism, The Asian Diaspora and Body Liberation. She is an alumna of College of Fine Arts,  Sydney graduating with a Bachelor of Design in 2014 and was awarded the Emerging Artist of The Year in 2019. 

Since 2019, Mu has also been the Director and Curator for Tits & Co. This platform facilitates underrepresented artists, supporting female and gender-non-conforming peoples from all over the world. Through submissions, events and exhibitions, Tits & Co. aims to give these communities a voice, bridging the gap between maker and space.

Mu’s livelihood as an artist explores the multiplicity of her identity, allowing intuition and curiosity about being a third culture kid navigating their queerness and sense of place come to the forefront. She is Australian born with East Timorese and Hakka Chinese lineage with her arts practice negotiating complex narratives, weaving the personal and political through painting, sculpture, installation, poetry and performance.

With her focus on the amalgamation of her personal narratives and cultural histories, her visual story-telling and literary works are about overcoming loss, instilling hope, remembering the past and understanding universal love languages ascend generations. Her works share a unique perspective on diasporic experiences, cultural preservation, and the intersectionality of queer identities.

Through harnessing her Hakka and East Timorese heritage, language and QBIPOC storytelling, she advocates and brings these largely under-represented narratives vividly to the surface. The rigorous research and experimentation within her practice enables her to generate thought-provoking and socio-politically engaging activations, creating culturally relevant resources for our collective future.

____

SELECT CV

Marisa Yun Ling Mu

Born 1991, Sydney, Australia

AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES

2024. Artist-In-Residence, School of Visual Arts, New York City, NY

2024 Artist-In-Residence, Gorman Arts Centre, Canberra, ACT

2024 Finalist, Blacktown City Arts Prize, Sydney, NSW

2023 Finalist, Blacktown City Arts Prize, Sydney, NSW

2022 Finalist, Bluethumb Arts Prize, Melbourne, VIC

2021 Artist-In-Residence, At The Above, Melbourne, VIC

2019 Winner of The Emerging Artist of The Year, FortyFive Downstairs, Melbourne, VIC

2019 Finalist, Small Works Art Prize, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2018 Finalist, Little Things Art Prize, Saint Cloche Gallery, Sydney, NSW

2018 Artist-In-Residence, Ganyula Studio, Florence, IT

2013 Winner of Designer Rugs Award, College of Fine Arts, Sydney, NSW

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024 Up With the Clouds, Leda Gallery, Newcastle, NSW

2024 With Pleasure, At The Above, Melbourne, VIC

2023 The Hysterical Self Love Project That Everyone Is Invited to, Leda Gallery, Newcastle

2022 To Be Alone and Naked, At The Above, Melbourne

2022 The Power of Womxn, RED Gallery, Melbourne

2021 Block Party for Love, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne

2020 Visions of Love, FortyFive Downstairs, Melbourne

2021 Wonder Women, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne

2019 Kaleidoscope Dancers, Wedge Gallery, Sydney Town Hall

2018 Marisa Mu, King of The Jungle, Sydney

2017 The Statement Makers, Goodspace Gallery, Sydney

2017Rhythm in Colour, Goodspace Gallery, Sydney

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024 YES Exhibition, aMBUSH Gallery, Sydney, NSW

2024 Fever Pitch, Flatiron Project Space, New York City, New York

2024 Abstraction, curated by Elle Zoltak, Compendium Contemporary, Melbourne, VIC

2024 The Affordable Art Fair, represented by Lara Scolari Gallery, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, VIC

2024 Dream Sweet, Honey Bones Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2024 In Homage, Divisions Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2024 LOCALS, Outre Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2024 LSG x The Affordable Art Fair, Brisbane Showgrounds Exhibition Building, Brisbane, QLD

2024 LSG x The Affordable Art Fair, The Royal Randwick Racecourse Pavilion, Sydney, NSW 

2023 The Other Art Fair, Barangaroo Cutaway, Sydney

2023 Hosterium curated by Arthouse Selective, Waxflower, Melbourne

2023 Tits and Co. x The Affordable Art Fair, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

2023 GATHER | TOGETHER, Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart

2023 A Female Gaze curated bv Andy Dinan, MARS Gallery, Melbourne

2023 Sketch Gallery x The Affordable Art Fair, Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney

2023 LOCALS, Outre Gallery, Melbourne

2023 LIFE IN COLOUR, Sketch Gallery, Sydney

2023 Decks for Change curated by Kirby Clarke, No-Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne

2022 Gather curated by Georgina Arnott, Sketch Gallery, Sydney

2022 Continuum curated by Jessica Dang, The Meat Market, Melbourne

2022 Tits and Co. x The Affordable Art Fair, Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Melbourne 

2022 The Other Art Fair, Barangaroo Cutaway, Sydney

2022 The Other Art Fair, The Brooklyn Knockdown Centre, New York City

2022 The Other Art Fair, The Meat Market, Melbourne

2022 For the Deckade, curated by FORTHEART, Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne

2022 Taking Up Space curated by Bo Bickmore and Variation Three, The Meat Market, Melbourne

2022 Secret Art Show curated by Zoe Milah, Melbourne

2022 LOCALS, Outre Gallery, Melbourne

2021 QUEER VOICES curated  by Joseph Romano, Melbourne Fashion Week Capsule, Melbourne

2021 The Other Art Fair, Barangaroo Cutaway, Sydney

2020 Dancing Queens curated by Natalie Fleur x Midsumma Festival, SoHigh Gallery, Melbourne

2019 My Two Cents, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne

2019 The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn Expo Centre, New York City

2019 The Other Art Fair, Barangaroo Cutaway, Sydney

2019 The Other Art Fair, Barker Hangar, Los Angeles

2019 The Other Art Fair, The Facility, Melbourne

2019 The Other Art Fair, The Australian Technology Park, Sydney

2018 Colours Are All I Feel curated by B.T.W., Commune Gallery, Sydney

2018 Orbital Hybridisation curated by Uncast, Usfin Atelier, Sydney

2018 All Bodies curated by Anthony Sakr, Farr Side Gallery, Sydney

2018 The Epitome of Her-O curated by Marisa Mu and Simone Taylor, Goodspace Gallery, Sydney

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Blacktown City Council

Sydney Children’s Hospital

LECTURES, FACILITATION AND PANELS

2023 Artist Talk, Arthouse Selective, Waxflower, Melbourne, VIC

2023 Artist Talk, Leda Gallery, Newcastle, NSW

2022-23 Producer, ClubLuv, Melbourne, VIC

2022 Panelist for Platforming Community, Radical Hospitality x Next  Wave, Brunswick Mechanics Institute, Melbourne, VIC

2022 Panelist with Diego Ramirez, Emerging Artists, FortyFive Downstairs, Melbourne, VIC

2022 Artist Talk, An Artist’s Journey, Artful Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2019-23 Director, Tits and Co., Melbourne, VIC

2017 Lecturer, Professional Development for Design Practice, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW

PUBLICATIONS

2024 With Pleasure and Sometimes Pain, limited edition book, self published (forthcoming)

2014. The Transmigration of My Mother, limited edition book, self published

SELECT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2023 Commissioned Artist, Revolver, Melbourne, VIC

2023 Collaborative Artist with SpaceCast, Melbourne, VIC

2023 Commissioned Artist, Blactown City Council, Sydney, NSW

2022 Artist/Model, A Safe(r) Space Campaign, Midsumma Festival, VIC

2022 Collaborative Artist with Eyewear Company Bailey Nelson, NSW

2022 Collaborative Artist with HeyZomi, Australia

2021 Commissioned Artist, Platypus Sneakers, Melbourne, VIC

2021 Producer and Collaborative Artist with MASINI, Melbourne, VIC

2021 Collaborative Artist with Alicia McVilly, Femme Fantasy, Melbourne, VIC

2019 Ambassador for The Other Art Fair, Spring/Summer Edition, Los Angeles, LA

2019 Independent Artists Project, Paint This Van, Melbourne, VIC

2019 Live Painting for Dress for Success Charity, Sydney, NSW

2019 Collaborative Artist with Reach Foundation and BONDS Australia

2019 Collaborative Artist with Barrecore, London, UK

2019 Collaborative Artist with Gowanus Print Lab, New York City, NY

2018 Life Model, 107 Projects, Sydney, NSW

2018 Collaborative Artist ‘Women As People – Not Objects’, International Women’s Day, NSW

2018 Curator, Goodspace Gallery, Sydney, NSW

2016 Collaborative Project Artist Marisa Mu x Haluminous, Melbourne Fashion Week, VIC

2014 - 19 Creative Director of Marisa Mu Design Studio, NSW