PROFILE

Samir Hamaiel is a Visual Artist based in Brisbane, Australia, working predominantly with paint, drawing and digital techniques. His architectural background, studying and practicing in the UK, The Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia, has significantly influenced his visual approach with strong highly structured perspectives. He has a particular interest in the in-between; less celebrated urban spaces which have evolved over time and demonstrate their history with markings, signage and texture. His background is also expressed through his work. British born with an Egyptian Father and English mother, he has a complex and confused cultural identity, especially now he is relocated to Australia with an Australian family. The in-between spaces in his work are a representation of this in-between status.

His recent works also incorporate the co-existence of man-made and natural structures and how these interact with one another. I sometimes see my work as self-portraits; obviously not in the conventional sense, but as an illustration my psychological state and sometimes inner turmoil. The manmade forms I am particularly interested in are strongly geometric and these contrast with the organic natural forms. These structures represent my architectural rigid older self, whilst the flowing forms of plant-life and water are linked to a younger artistic and less constrained persona. These aspects of my psyche feel like they are in constant battle with no overall winner. Over the course of 2020 I was increasingly drawn to nature and this is evident in the chronological compositions of the work, which illustrate greater natural content, a suggestion of self-healing and repair.

Samir was named as one of 9 shortlisted finalists in the 2019 Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize, based in Sydney. In 2018 he was highly commended in the Milburn Art Award in Brisbane, received a Certificate of Merit in the Moreton Bay Art Awards and had a work acquired by Toowoomba Regional Gallery as part of the Toowoomba Emerging Artist Award. In 2016, Samir was announced the overall winner of the Brisbane 2015 Art-force Awards for his painted Traffic Signal Box entry, Growth. He has also been a finalist in many other Australian awards including the Calleen Art Award (2016, 2018, 2020), Fleurieu Biennale (2018), Contemporary Art Awards (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and Lyn Mccrea Memorial Drawing Prize (2019).

CV

SELECT AWARDS AND PRIZES

Acrylic painting ‘The Slide’ Finalist at 2024 Du Rietz Art Awards, Gympie, QLD

Acrylic painting ‘A Strange Scene’ Finalist at 2023 Hornsby Art Prize, Sydney, NSW

Acrylic painting  ‘Pink Water’ Finalist at 2023 Inner/Space D & A Award, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting ‘The Slide’ Finalist at 2023 Milburn Prize, Brisbane Institute of Art (BIA), Brisbane, QLD

Digital work ‘XXXX’ Finalist at 2022 Inner/Space D & A Award, Brisbane, QLD

Digital work ‘Story Squared’ Finalist in the Bluethumb Art Prize 2022, Australia

Acrylic painting ‘Altered Landscape’ Highly commended entrant, The Gallerist Emerging Artist Prize, 2021

Ink painting triptych ‘Above/Below’ Finalist at 2021 Inner/Space D & A Award, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting ‘Altered Landscape’ Finalist at 2020 Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Gallery, NSW

Acrylic painting ‘Descent’ Finalist at 2020 Inner/Space Design and Art Award, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting ‘Into The Blue'’ Finalist at 2020 Lethbridge 20000, Lethbridge Gallery, Paddington, Brisbane, QLD

Finalist at Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize, 2019, Sydney, NSW

Drawing ‘Fracture’ Finalist at Lyn Mccrea Memorial Drawing Prize, 2019, Noosa Regional Gallery, QLD

Acrylic painting ‘Fallen’ Gallery Finalist at 2019 Lethbridge 20000, Lethbridge Gallery, Paddington, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic paintings ‘Ravine’ and Unseen’’ Finalists at 2019 St Kevin’s College Art Show, Toorak Melbourne, VIC

Acrylic painting entitled ‘In Suburbia’ Finalist at 2019 Contemporary Art Awards Australia, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting ‘Tunnel II’ Highly Commended at 2018 Milburn Prize, Brisbane Institute of Art (BIA), Brisbane, QLD

Digital work ‘Story’ awarded Certificate of Merit at 2018 Moreton Bay Region Art Awards, Strathpine, Moreton Bay, QLD

Acrylic painting ‘Unseen’ Finalist at 2018 Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Gallery, NSW

Digital work ‘Absence of Place’ Finalist at 2018 Fleurieu Biennale Art Prize, McLaren Vale, SA

Acrylic painting ‘Invert’ online Finalist at 2018 Lethbridge 10000, Lethbridge Gallery, Paddington, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Red Room’ and digital work 'End of the Line' Finalists at 2018 Contemporary Art Awards Australia, Brisbane, QLD

Honourable Mentions for photo submissions at International IPPAWARDS2017 for iPhone Photography

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Prism’ Online Finalist at 2017 Lethbridge 10 000, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Memorial Park’ and digital work 'Road' Finalists at 2017 Moreton Bay Region Art Awards, Moreton Bay, QLD

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Tunnel’ and digital work 'Citadel' Finalists at 2017 Contemporary Art Awards Australia, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Reflector’ Finalist at St George Art Prize 2016, Hurstville, NSW

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Invert’ Finalist at 2016 Contemporary Art Awards Australia, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Tunnel’ Finalist at 2016 Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Gallery, Cowra, NSW

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Inorganic Organic’ Finalist at 2016 Milburn Prize, Brisbane Institute of Art (BIA), Brisbane, QLD

Painted Traffic Signal Box entitled ‘Growth’ announced as Overall Winner at Brisbane 2015   Art-force Awards, Brisbane, QLD

Acrylic painting entitled ‘Stamford Brook Station’ Finalist at 2015 Contemporary Art Awards Australia, Brisbane, QLD

SELECT SOLO AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS

ART SHOP, Outer Space Brisbane, Brisbane, QLD

DEPARTURE, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane, QLD (participant)

ECHO, Side Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

BURN, 2022, Side Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

4TH QUEENSLAND ARTISTS SHOWCASE, 2022, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD

SAMIR HAMAIEL - Mini Release, Michael Reid, Northern Beaches, 2022, NSW, Australia

GLIMPSE, 2021, The Side Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

SAMIR HAMAIEL - Mini Release, Michael Reid, Northern Beaches, 2021, NSW, Australia

MUTUTAL INTENT, The Third Quarter and YETI at Brisbane Powerhouse, QLD, 2021

LANDING, 2021, The Side Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

LOOM, 2020, The Side Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

STILL LIFE, 2020, No Vacancy, Melbourne, VIC

BOILING POINT, 2020, The Third Quarter, Brisbane, QLD

BRISBANE OPEN HOUSE EXHIBITION, 2019, Australian Institute of Architects, Brisbane QLD

WITHIN THESE WALLS, 2019, Brisbane Street Art Festival, West Village, Brisbane, QLD

ANON, 2018, Sunlight Centre, Canon Hill, Brisbane, QLD

BORROWED LANDSCAPES, 2018, Graydon Gallery, New Farm, Brisbane, QLD

RENDER 2016, Design Exhibition at Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC

PEACEFUL LANDSCAPES, 2015, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD

EDUCATION

2015, ‘Acrylic Approaches’ with Nameer Davies, Brisbane Institute of Art (BIA), Brisbane, QLD

2005, Diploma in Architecture, University of Nottingham, UK including semester at Hong Kong University

2001, BArch in Architecture, University of Nottingham, UK

PUBLICATIONS

Shafran, T, Viewpoints 2018, Toowoomba Biennial Emerging Artist Award, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Toowoomba, QLD

Ong, A. 2017. Places of Essential Change and Activity, Contemporary Art Awards, Brisbane, QLD

Rees, J. 2016. Contemporary Art Awards: Finalist Exhibition 2015. 23 January-23 June 2016, Awards, Brisbane, QLD

COLLECTIONS

2018        Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery TRAG