JANET GOODCHILD-CUFFLEY Figurative painter, particularly concerned with pursuing meaning through narrative.

Goodchild-Cuffley's work focuses on women, history and life's "journey", and has been shown in solo and group exhibitions since the early 1980s. Working in series, her work has questioned the creation of personal identity for women in Western culture through exploration of sources in history.

She is currently working on a series based on the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, which she has set in the landscape of Central Victoria.

Her most recent work, "The Maria Roberts Series" has a Colonial Australian theme, as it is based on the discovery of a female convict ancestor. Using direct references to the motifs of Australian Colonial painting, the work alludes to the issues surrounding invasion and colonisation, while expressing empathy for the separation, alienation and dislocation experienced by Australia's convict women.

From earlier research came the theme-based exhibitions of "Dreams", "Amazons", "Portrayals" and "FairyTales". In November 2002, the five main paintings from the FairyTales series travelled to London, where they were exhibited at Australia House.

Tragically, Janet's daughter, Sarah, committed suicide in July 2001, after a brief mental illness. From this devastating experience came "Significance - The Sarah Series": drawings, paintings and watercolours exploring loss and the process of grieving.

Goodchild-Cuffley also teaches painting, drawing and illustration at Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE.

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This page last updated 6th April 2008.