Some Artworks on display at:
Bluethumb Gallery
Narla’s Story Time Ilustrations are Touring in Library’s and Gallery’s
Most Recent Collection:
Pawprints from the City to Nature
Alina Shirley’s first Solo show
At Australian Guild of Realist Artists (AGRA) Gallery
Camberwell, Melbourne Australia, in May
Read about the show and see the work below.
Photo by Stephen Mclaughlan of “Journey’s Through Life and Death” exhibition
Upcoming Exhibitions
May 2023
Pawprints from the City to Nature
Australian Guild of Realist Artists (AGRA) Gallery
Melbourne, Australia
Alina welcomes you to see her first solo exhibition. This exhibition features paintings and drawings about all aspects of nature. The exhibition is designed as two related short stories split down the middle of the room. The first half is the story of “Nature and Mankind” for adults. The second half of the story is “Narla’s Story Time” for the children and children at heart. RSVP on Facebook Events and keep posted on Instagram for updates.
TOURING:
Narla’s Story Time Illustrations:
April 2023 - Kenmore Libary Walls
(Brisbane)
May 2023 - Northcote Library (Melbourne)
May 2023 - Indooroopilly Library (Brisbane)
May 2023 - Solo Show at AGRA (Melbourne)
Jan 2022 (PAST) - Ashgrove Library (Brisbane)
Nov 2022 (PAST) - Kenmore Library Cabinet (Brisbane)
In January 2023, at Ashgrove Library in Brisbane there were 8 pastel artworks (in print form) that were used as illustrations in the first book, “Narla’s Story Time. Then 4 more pastel artworks used as illustrations in the newly released second book, “Narla’s 10th Birthday.”
From November 2022 to January 2023, at the Kenmore Library in Brisbane, there was a display cabinet of approximately 4 levels with illustrations from the first and second books in the Narla Series. The cabinet show was about Narla, as a Story Dog, and how the books were written by Alina.
Narla’s Story Time Illustrations are a touring collection of works that are due to appear in more libraries in Brisbane and Melbourne in May 2023. There will be an exhibition at the Gallery in Northcote Library (Melbourne) featuring pastel work prints from the first book. There will also be a display in the Indooroopilly Library (Brisbane) with illustrations from the first and second book. The illustrations will feature in Alina’s upcoming Solo show, “Pawprints from the City to Nature.” In the show you can see the original pastel drawings from the first and second book. Follow @alinashirley.storybooks on Instagram and Facebook to see where Narla will appear!
Use and follow #Narlawashere2023 to see where Narla will appear next!
Follow #Narlastorytime for any updates on the series of books.
Photo by Stephen Mclaughlan of “Journey’s Through life and Death” exhibition
Significant Past Exhibitions
December 2022
Journeys Through Life and Death
Stephen Mclaughlan Gallery
Melbourne, Australia
“Journeys Through Life and Death” was a group show curated by Alina Shirley at the Stephen Mclaughlan Gallery in Melbourne. The exhibition features the work of 6 emerging artists all (students current and past) of RMIT university. Alina founded the group in covid online, and this was their first group exhibition together. The exhibition involves various artworks including prints, painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. The exhibition starts with an examination of Birth, before moving into journeys through Life, and ultimately ending at Death. The show was a great success. Look up the artists on Instagram to see more of their work.
November 2022
Mural with Lucy Maddox
O’Grady Place, RMIT University
Melbourne, Australia
Alina was part of a team of volunteer students from RMIT supporting a prestigious artist, Lucy Maddox, make a mural in the RMIT university at O’Grady Place. The mural is at least 14 meters long made with Zero VOC Eco colour paint. It displays brightly coloured hands creatively at work on different projects. The team worked together on scaffolding, painting, edging, and spray painting the mural for a few weeks. Everyone was very happy with the finished result.
Alina installed and curated her own end of year/graduation show in 2022 from her Diploma in Visual arts at RMIT university. The show ran for a weekend in the RMIT Tank display space. It featured all her key class work from all her subjects including, painting, drawing, mixed media and sculpture. The show was called “Stories Come Alive” because of the diverse work that told the story of her final year at RMIT. Alina was an active RMIT student, starting her own art group (that later exhibited together), donated an artwork to RMIT online auction, painted on display on RMIT Open day, and later volunteered to work on RMIT’s mural.
November 2022
Stories Come Alive
Graduation Show in Tank
RMIT Visual Arts University
Melbourne Australia
June and December 2022
Fitzroy Art Collective
Faces and Massive Hang Shows
Melbourne, Australia
Alina goes to casual life drawing classes at the Fitzroy Art Collective sometimes. She has been part of 2 shows as part of the collective of artists so far. In June 2022, she was in the “Faces” Show where she displayed 2 artworks, an abstract face, and her own self-portrait. In December 2022, she was also part of the “Massive Hang” Show where she displayed 2 artworks, one of a Japanese dancer, and a life drawing. Alina enjoys being part of the Fitzroy Artist community.
Alina is a member of the Melbourne Artist Group that displays at the Ruelle Wine Bar in Prahran. She has displayed in 2 shows with the group. In June, she displayed a small artwork in “Wine Well with Paris.” Then November, she displayed another small artwork in “Laneways.” Alina will continue to display artworks in the group while she is based in Melbourne.
June and November 2022
Melbourne Artists Group
Laneways and Wine Well Paris
Ruelle Wine Bar
Melbourne, Australia
June 2022
Signs Challenge
Australian Guild of Realist Artists (AGRA) Gallery
Melbourne, Australia
Alina is a member of AGRA Gallery and community in Camberwell. She first exhibited there for the signs challenge in June 2022. The challenge was to interpret the meaning of signs, and Alina responded with the “Lost in Life” artwork and received a special mention by the Prize judge. Since then, she has been part of many demonstrations, exhibitions, and will soon have her first solo show with the gallery.
December 2019
A World Away
Bean Café
Brisbane, Australia
Alina had a solo exhibition at the Bean café in Brisbane featuring works from her travels around the world. There were about 18 paintings, mostly acrylics, some pastels, and a watercolour. The artworks form the basis of the “A World Away” collection of cityscapes, and landscapes, sometimes with a person or figure in them, based on moments captured around the world. Alina has a passion for capturing places in the world with a travel story or an important memory. The show was Alina’s first solo public show and hence a great achievement.
May 2019
Royal QLD Art Society
Petrie Terrace Gallery
Brisbane, Australia
Alina has been actively displaying in this gallery while she was living in Brisbane. She exhibited in 3 shows: 1) Abstraction for Painting, 2) Landscapes, Seascapes and Streetscapes for Painting, and 3) Women’s Work for Mixed-Media. Alina remains involved in what is happening in this gallery.
December 2015
Jugglers X Show
Jugglers Art Space Inc.
Brisbane, Australia
Alina volunteered as an intern at Jugglers gallery helping with administrative, and curational work. This gallery was one of the only galleries in Brisbane to allow aerosol art. She helped install several exhibitions, including the Jugglers Christmas (X) show. Her work was on display as part of the Jugglers Intern’s, and this was the first time she showed publicly since her high school years.
Alina with “Mt Maslow” artwork at “Journeys Through Life and Death.”
Memberships and Associations
Alina is a former student of RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia). She graduated from the Diploma of Visual Arts in 2022 at RMIT and is now part of this community.
Australian Guild of Realist Artists (AGRA) Gallery
MAVA Collective - Melbourne and Victorian Artists inc. (See Solo Show Listing)
Bluethumb Online Art Gallery (See Profile)
Alina is a Member of:
Fitzroy Art Collective
Melbourne Artist Group
Royal QLD Art Society
RMIT Visual Arts (after graduation in 2022)
RAW Artist (self-taught before study)
Alina is Associated with:
