JANA VODESIL-BARUFFI

Jana Vodesil-Baruffi

Jana is a West Australian based fine artist and art educator grown up and schooled in the best traditions of Europe. Her realistic portraits, landscapes and fantastic realism works have won prestigious state and national competitions and sell both nationally and abroad. 

She did not choose art, it chose her! Creativity became a light source Jana kept turning to in life to keep her sanity, happiness and contentment. Art gives her an opportunity to express feelings, ideas and values without speaking. 

Jana’s work can be divided into two categories: Portraits & Fantastic realism and Landscapes (paintings from my extensive travels). She love painting portraits, be it traditional or in fantastic realism style. The fascination with faces, their expressions and that which is invisible, is something she can’t let go off. The desire to look deeper into the soul of a person and express what she see’s in there is irresistible. An intimate love of nature and the human body, their shapes and colours helps her to lead you into a world of fantasy – controlled illusion, charged with emotions, which seems almost believable. 

Painting landscapes gives Jana a needed respite from other works. These realistic and impressionistic works from her travels shows the beautiful world we live in and serves as a perfect tool for teaching students worldwide.

Jana is a founding member of the Contemporary Australian Surrealists Movement in Western Australia as well as a member of West Australian portrait artists. Her art is exhibited in her studio-gallery Metamorphosis Art Gallery and some of her paintings are reproduced into small (usually 20) high quality, signed limited edition prints on canvas or paper.

EXHIBITIONS

Group Exhibitions 

  • 2022, Duet, Mt Pleasant , Western Australia

  • 2021, Mindscapes, CASM, Moores Building Art Gallery, Western Australia

  • 2019, Mindscapes, CASM, Gomboc Gallery Sculpture Park, Western Australia

  • 2018, Mindscapes, CASM, Moores Building Art Gallery, Western Australia 

  • 2018, Skin Deep, WAPA, Moores Building Art Gallery, Western Australia 

  • 2017, Cambridge Studio Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 

  • 2017, Royal Perth Golf Club, South Perth, Western Australia, 

  • 2016, Kidogo Art House, Fremantle, Western Australia, 

  • 2017/2015, Paintings for a Cause Calendar Competition, Metamorphosis Art Gallery, Willetton, Australia 

  • 2017/2016/2015, WAPA, Kidogo Arthouse, Fremantle, Western Australia, 

  • 2015, Portraits of Life, Pluslife, Perth City Farm, Western Australia, 

  • 2015, Master Dei College, Western Australia, 

  • 2016/2015/2014, Surrealism Now, Metamorphosis Art Gallery, Western Australia, 

  • 2015/2014/2013, The Royal Agricultural Society of WA Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 2013/2012/2011, Metamorphosis Art Gallery, Western Australia, 

  • 2010, Out from Down Under and Beyond, Agora Gallery, Chelsea, New York, United States of America 

  • 2009, Scarpateti, Sondrio, Italy 

  • 2021,2017/2015/2012/2008/2007/2006, Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Western Australia, 

  • 2006, Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, New South Wales, Australia 

  • 2012/2008/2007/2006, LaSalle College Fine Art Exhibition, Western Australia, 

  • 2006, City of Canning Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 2006, Art show at the SAS Regiment Auxiliary, Western Australia, 

  • 2006/2005, City of Belmont Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 2005/2006, Mazenod College Fine Art Exhibition, Western Australia, 

  • 2005, Murdoch Hospice Art Show, Western Australia, 

  • 2005, City of Canning Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 2017/2016/2011/20062005//1988, City of Melville Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 1988, Bicentennial Art Award, York, Western Australia, 

  • 1987, Matilda Bay Restaurant Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 1985/1984, Melbourne Art Show, New South Wales, Australia

Solo Exhibitions 

  • 2023, ‘Half the Sky’, Metamorphosis Art Studio/Gallery, Western Australia,  

  • 2018/2017/2016/2015/2014/2013, Metamorphosis Art Studio/Gallery, Western Australia,  

  • 2014/2013, Permanent Impressions, Perth-Central Park and 10 regional towns of Western Australia,  

  • 2012, One artist, one day, one year, The West Australian Club, Western Australia,  

  • 2011/2010, Canning College Computing Centre, Western Australia,  

  • 2010, Love affair with Italy, Italian Club, Fremantle, Western Australia,  

  • 2009, Ente Filarmonico Italiano, Arezzo, Italy 

  • 2008, Ground Beneath my Feet, Linton & Kay Gallery, Subiaco, Western Australia,  

  • 2006, Life, Death and in Between, St John of God Hospital, Subiaco, Western Australia,  

  • 2007/2006/2005, Denada Café, Western Australia, Australia 

  • 2005, Then and Now, Pastels, oils, acrylic and drawings, Atwell Gallery, Western Australia,  

  • 1989, Pastels at Gomboc Gallery, Western Australia,  

  • 1984, Ceramic, china painting, copper enameling and drawings (private art studio), Australia

PUBLICATIONS

  • Trough the Artists’ Eyes: The Lester Prize - The Black Swan, 2019, Book

  • Artists of Perth, Gabi Mills and Lisa Shearon, Premium Publishers, 2017, Book 

  • Extra.ordinary. Business Women, Carmen Jenner and Clare McAlaney, Creatavision Publishing, 2017, Book 

  • Colour in Your Life, Graeme Stevenson, 2015, Television Series 

  • Permanent Impressions – a salute to contemporary heroines, Jana Vodesil-Baruffi and Carmen Jenner, Carina Hoang Communications, 2013, Book

    The book won the bronze medal in the Best Regional Non-Fiction category for the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York. 

Jana’s work has been featured many times in magazines such as Home and Garden, The Building and Design Yearbook, The Finishing Touch, and The West Australian Newspaper, and many of her articles on the subject of decorative art have been published.

VIEW AWARDS