Lois Turner has exhibited extensively in both group and solo exhibitions throughout South Australia and Victoria. She was a finalist in the Advertiser Business S A Contemporary Art Prize for 2009 and 2010.
Education
Lois has been painting extensively for many decades and first began part time art training at the South Australian School of Art in the 1960’s. It wasn’t until 1980s that Lois commenced full time studies at the South Australian School of Art, graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree in 1990.
Influences
In 1990 Lois won the Soroptimist International Travel Award that enabled her to visit Central Australia where she visited an Aboriginal Settlement. It was this experience that proved to have a powerful influence on the way she viewed the world around her.
For the next few years, Lois continued her art practice and exhibited widely throughout Adelaide.
Philosophy:
Lois has always been interested in philosophy and by the mid 1990’s she commenced undergraduate studies in the Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Adelaide.
Her curious nature led her to seek explanations about the fundamental questions of existence, the nature of knowledge, the philosophy of language, beauty and cognitive science.
Life changing events
In 2004 Lois was diagnosed with breast cancer and that experience had a major influence on her work from thereon in. During 2005, she joined Adelaide Survivors Abreast dragon boat team and competed internationally in Penang and Vancouver’s 10th Anniversary Abreast, Canada.
For the next few years, Lois returned to painting and devoted her work to promoting breast health through the visual arts. During that time she donated some of the proceeds from the sale of her work towards the McGrath Foundation.
Moving forward
2010 has seen a change in the direction of Lois’s artwork. Lois has now become focused on the interaction between the environment and human activities and how they impact on climate change.
In the last twelve months Lois has been an active member of the Friends of the South Australian School of Art. She has developed an initiative to help raise funds for the Friends of SASA’s History Project by donating $100 for every painting sold over $1,000.00.