photograph by Christophe Canato

Elizabeth Marruffo is from the small border town of Agua Prieta in Sonora, Mexico. In her painting practice, Marruffo engages with ideas of self-representation along with themes of collective grief, loss and love. Her paintings appear as dreamlike images where the earthly and the otherworldly co-exist. With an increasing interest in folkloric traditions, she uses the techniques of a traditional painting practice and creates works that have a distinctive and contemporary voice.

In her work with children’s community groups she uses poetic and gentle techniques in ways that encourage a child’s ability to develop their own creativity and sense of self.

Elizabeth currently lives and works in Perth, Western Australia. As the co-founder and Director of the Milktooth School of Art and Stories, she develops and runs children art classes and adults art workshops.  She is also the co-founder and Creative Director of the Perth Comic Arts Festival, Australia’s most notable literary comics organisation. Elizabeth also began and edits the annual TALE TOWN literary comics journal that commissions new works from emerging and established authors.

Her upcoming graphic novel, Pup Pup is the Boss of the Stars is an auto-fictional re-imagining of The Wind in the Willows that is set in her home-town on the Mexican/US border. Illustrated through an experimental, mixed-media process of staged diorama’s, soft felted characters and painted landscapes, the book explores how conflict zones are experienced by those that live within them and challenge outsider appetites for conflict voyeurism. It will be published by Top Shelf.

Education
2012 Bachelor of Visual Arts, Honours – first class. Edith Cowan University, W.Australia.
2006 Bachelor of Visual Arts. Edith Cowan University, W.Australia.

Solo Exhibitions
2019 Worthless Remains, Turner Gallery, Perth, W.Australia.
2016 Love Spells for a Thief, Margaret River Gallery, Margaret River, W. Australia.
2013 Pup Pup is the Boss of the Stars, free range gallery, Perth, W.Australia.
2012 The Death of the Party, Turner Gallery, Perth, W.Australia.
2010 Milk and Whispers, Friends of Leon Gallery, Sydney, NSW.
2010 Milk and Sleep, HQ Gallery, Leederville, W.Australia.
2008 Infinitas Gracias, Tinoco y Palacios Gallery, Oaxaca, Mexico.
2007 Lost in a Fog, Million Fishes Art Gallery, San Francisco, U.S.A.
2007 Hearts and Bones, free range gallery, Subiaco, W. Australia.

Curated Exhibitions
2023 Who Cares?, Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, W.Australia
2022 Tales from the Hermit Kingdom, Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, W.Australia.
2021 Message in a Bottle, Spectrum Project Space, Edith Cowan University, W.Australia.
2019 Sequence and Consequence, Gallery 25, Edith Cowan University, W.Australia.
2018 Inner Atmospheres, Gallery 25, Edith Cowan University, W.Australia.
2014 Eggtooth, Spectrum project space, Edith Cowan University, W. Australia.
2009 Milktooth, free range gallery, Perth, W.Australia.

Select Group Exhibitions
2020 In the Making…, Gallery 25, W.Australia.
2020 Tied up with String, Mundaring Arts Centre, W.Australia
2019 Any Reading Order, Spectrum Gallery, W.Australia
2018 Antipodean Encounters, Midland Junction Arts Centre
2016 Stations of the Cross, BRAG Bunbury and Wesley Church Perth.
2015 Home and Housed, Spectrum project space, Edith Cowan University and Bunbury Regional Art Gallery.
2015 FORM Public Salon, 101 Albany Highway, Victoria Park.
2015 Art Auction, Paper Mountain, Northbridge, W.Australia
2014 Here Comes the Future, Margaret River Art Gallery, W. Australia.
2011 Beauties and Beasts, Elements Gallery, Dalkieth, W.Australia.
2010 Femme, Studio 281, Maylands, W.Australia.
2007 Milk, KURB Art Gallery, Northbridge, W.Australia.
2007 Arc, free range gallery, Subiaco, W.Australia.
2007 Fluther, Million Fishes Art Gallery, San Francisco, U.S.A.

Curated Publications
2024 TALE TOWN: Pandora’s Box
2023 TALE TOWN: Who Cares?
2022 TALE TOWN: Tales From the Hermit Kingdom
2021 TALE TOWN: Inglewood

Awards and Grants
2023 DLGSC – Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups.
2018 Mandorla Art Award.
2016 Mandorla Art Award. Bayswater art award – winner best resident.
2015 Portia Geach Memorial Award. City of Wanneroo art award – winner works on paper.
2015 Busselton Art award – highly commended.
2015 Bayswater Art Award – highly commended.
2015 Mandjar Art Award.
2015 Minnawarra Art Prize.
2015 Cossack Art Award.
2014 Vasse art prize. Mandorla Art Award. Albany Art Prize.
2013 Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Award – winner.
2012 Portia Geach Memorial Award. Mandorla Art Award. Cossack art award.
2009 The Blake Prize Directors Cut.

Collections
Education Department of W.A.
Edith Cowan University.
St John of God Hospital.
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
City of Wanneroo.

Residencies / Workshops
2015 Florence Academy of Art, Florence, Italy – Academic figure painting in oil workshop
2014 Angel Academy of Art, Florence, Italy – Academic painting of the 17th century workshop. Arquetopia, Oaxaca, Mexico – one month artist residency.

Commissions
2016 Perth Public Art Foundation Cow Parade.
2015-2016 St John of God tapestry design.
2014 City of Joondalup POPP murals.

Relevant Experience
Elizabeth has been a self employed artist since 2007 with both solo and group shows at various locations around Australia and internationally and the following workshops, exhibition curation and commissions.

2015 – current Milktooth Arts Project Space, co-founder. Director
2018 – current Perth Comic Arts Festival, co-founder, Creative Director
2019 Edith Cowan University, Sessional Painting Lecturer.
2019 FORM, Creative Schools Program, children’s art workshops
2014 Eggtooth, Spectrum Project Space, Edith Cowan University; exhibition curator.
2011-2016 AWESOME festival and AWESOME in partnership with LWP property group, various children’s community art workshops and illustration commissions.
2012 DADAA Artlink Children’s program workshops.
2011 Edith Cowan University, Artist assistant for artist with special needs.
2009 Milktooth, free range gallery; exhibition curator.
2007 Set Design and painting, Healthy Eating Children’s Puppet Show, Artschange, San Francisco, U.S.A.