BIO

Courtney grew up in the outskirts of Brisbane collecting dead beetles, dressing up as Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” and drawing pink unicorns and prehistoric birds. She graduated with a degree in interior design from Brisbane's Queensland University of Technology before becoming a full-time illustrator in 2008. Since then she has had numerous solo shows across Australia and the US and collaborated with national and international brands. Courtney’s work explores her curiosity with the natural world, specifically the interplay between prey and predator through adaptation and metamorphosis. Behind the ornamental and ethereal charm of flowers, animals and female figures lies the cunning and unsettling underbelly of nature. She depicts scenes where animals become entangled within weaving hair and vines, nesting in skeletal remnants that hint at humanity’s impermanence.

“A cornucopia of native wildlife. Courtney Brims is an artist who wholly celebrates personal connections to nature, especially within the Australian landscape. She goes beyond the mere surface, exposing the intimate, mysterious aspects of the hidden world that is usually relegated to the periphery. Her illustrations are reminiscent of a magical realist dream, a place where imagination takes precedence within the backdrop of the real world. We only need to look at Courtney’s work to become reconnected with our child-like mind, the one that finds beauty and playfulness in the everyday that surrounds us. Ultimately, Courtney Brims is one of those rare artists who can create new perspectives, and who inspires us to look beyond and beyond until we ourselves are reborn. It’s more than a call to nature; it’s a call to becoming.” - Andrea Kovacic

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

June 2017 - 'Bush Fables' solo show, Culprit Club, Brisbane
April 2016 - 'Symbiosis' solo show, Outré Gallery, Melbourne
2009 - 'It's a Long Story' solo show, Nine Lives, Brisbane
2009 - 'Lost On the Way' solo show, Black Maria Gallery, Los Angeles USA
2008 - 'Of Wonders Wild' solo show, Monster Children Gallery, Sydney

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Jan 2020 - ‘Antipodes’ group show, Beinart Gallery, Melbourne
Dec 2019 - 'Ritual' group show, Haven Gallery, NY, USA
Sep 2019 - Talon Gallery, Portland, USA
Aug 2019 - ‘Women’s work’ outdoor exhibition, Brisbane
Feb 2019 - ‘My Neighbour Hayao’, Pow!Wow!, Hawaii
Nov 2018 - 'Isle of Dogs', group show, Spoke Art, New York USA
Oct 2018 - 'Terra Oztralis' group show, Outré Gallery, Melbourne
2018 - ‘Botanical Bestiary’, group show, Beinart Gallery, Melbourne
2018 - 'The Cat Show', Beinart Gallery, Melbourne
2017 - 'Unnatural Histories' group show, Antler Gallery, Portland USA
2017 - 'Creature' group show, Beinart Gallery, Melbourne
2017 - 'Brink' group show, Antler Gallery, Portland USA
2016 - 'Small Works' group show, Beinart Gallery, Melbourne
2016 - 'Strange Beauty' group show, Beinart Gallery, Melbourne
2011 - 'Little White Lies 70' group show, Kemistry Gallery, London UK

CLIENTS

Zimmermann
Brancott Estate Wines
Mineheart
Roadshow Entertainment
Element
Random House Books
Bavarian Bier Cafe
Hurley
Bulleit Bourbon
Abbott's Village Bakery
Sunday Style Magazine
Hatters Vegetables
Something Else
1300Flowers
Little White Lies
DV Mode Magazine
Yen Magazine
Samford Seafood
Playlab
Finders Keepers Markets

STOCKISTS AND GALLERIES

Outré Gallery, Melbourne VIC
Beinart Gallery, Melbourne VIC
Makers on Main, Samford QLD
Museum of Brisbane shop, Brisbane QLD

PUBLICATIONS

Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 27 2019
Brisbane News 2019
Semi-Permanent
The Beautiful Book - Gestalten
Down Under: Worldwide Graphic Design
Hi-Fructose - online
Juxtapoz - online
Alice - Monsa
Kingbrown Magazine
Yen Magazine
Frankie Magazine
Curvy 2008, 2009 & No. 7
Empty Magazine
Monster Children Magazine