
Kirrily Humphries
b. 1987, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Lives and works in Canberra, Australia
View Artist CV
Kirrily Humphries is an emerging artist based in Canberra whose exquisitely detailed paintings and drawings depict desolate scenes from within contemporary ruins. Her paintings, often taking months to render are created using multiple layers of translucent oil glazes applied over time resulting in luminous surfaces with soft detail and subtle variations of light, shadow and colour. In a similar vein, Humphries builds up her pencil compositions over many layers, allowing the drawing to emerge in intricate detail over time. The negative space of the paper becomes part of the power of the drawing, heightening the immersive experience of the composition. She says of her work; “I become quietly absorbed in the solitary exploration of architectural space. In my isolation I feel a heightened sense of physical presence, an amplified sensory awareness. The excited terror of exploring space forbidden or unknown intensifies this experience, presenting a realm for fantasy, anticipation and unfolding narrative. Based on my expeditions within contemporary ruins, I paint moments of sublime revelation, found in their distinct phenomenological and physiological experience. Informed by a single location, in these desolate interiors I confront my anxieties, my fears of destruction, and the transience and brevity of human legacy.” By working at a small scale, Humphries encourages a similar immersive experience for viewers, impelling quiet contemplation.
Humphries graduated with a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) from the Australian National University in 2016, having studied on exchange at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris in 2014. Since her graduation, her works have been exhibited Internationally and within Australia. Kirrily was a finalist in the 2019 and 2023 Hazelhurst Art on Paper Awards.
Kirrily Humphries, PSALMS, 2020, Oil on Copper and Walnut, 18 x 13 cm
Kirrily Humphries, Man's Universal Guilt, 2020, Oil on Copper and Walnut, 20 x 14 cm
Kirrily Humphries, MAYBE WE WERE BORN TO BE, 2019, Oil on Copper and Walnut, 14 x 10 cm
Kirrily Humphries, MAYBE WE WERE BORN TO BE, 2019, Oil on Copper and Walnut, 14 x 10 cm (Side View)
Kirrily Humphries, 12 Hours, 2020, Oil on Copper and Walnut, 13 x 13 cm
Kirrily Humphries, Over Me, 2018, Oil on Copper and Walnut, 13 x 18 cm
Kirrily Humphries, Lesson 1. 2023, Pencil on Paper, 21 x 6.2 cm (29.7 x 21 cm sheet)
Kirrily Humphries, a well ventilated place, 2023, Pencil on Paper, 5.3 x 4.1 cm (29.7 x 21 cm sheet)
Kirrily Humphries, IRON OUT THE ROUGH SPOTS, 2024, Pencil on Paper, 6.9 x 5.6 cm (29.7 x 21 cm sheet)
Kirrily Humphries, OVER 4.5 MILLION READERS, 2024, Pencil on Paper, 7 x 6.9 cm (29.7 x 21 cm sheet)
Kirrily Humphries, (d) the entrepreneur, 2023, Pencil on Paper, 19 x 15.5 cm (42 x 29.7 cm sheet)
Kirrily Humphries, (c ) Capital, 2024, Pencil on Paper, 9.6 x 5.7 cm (29.7 x 21 cm sheet)
Kirrily Humphries, GNH INTERIOR XXI, 2018, Watercolour Monotype on Paper, 16.5 x 12.5 cm
Kirrily Humphries, GNH INTERIOR XXII, 2019, Watercolour Monotype on Paper, 16.5 x 12.6 cm
Kirrily Humphries, GNH INTERIOR XXIV, 2019, Watercolour Monotype on Paper, 16.5 x 12.8 cm
Kirrily Humphries, GNH INTERIOR XXV, 2019, Watercolour Monotype on Paper, 16.5 x 12.9 cm