About the Artist
Katherine Gailer (aka Katira) is a Colombian artist currently based in Melbourne, exploring cultural identity, the natural environment, women’s empowerment, and contemporary design. Her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Arts Management degrees from RMIT University were both awarded with honours. Her practice includes public art (murals and Installation), painting, design, and music.
Katherine’s creative expression explores the mutual flourishing between worlds: diverse cultural perspectives, past and present, and the inner and outer spiritual realms. Her dream-like compositions celebrate resilience and liberation, echoing the urgent need to restore the invisible fabric that weaves together humans and nature. Her work challenges social structures and reclaims the space for diverse cultural expression and women at the forefront of social change.
Deeply rooted in her cultural heritage and the magical realism movement she was immersed in during her upbringing, her work is also shaped by Latin America’s rich iconography, symbols, and aesthetics. Rediscovering a sense of the sacred and revisiting our ancient past embody the driving force for the development of her artworks.
Moreover, Gailer is the female lead singer of Folktronic act Amaru Tribe. She combines urban sounds with her voice to represent women on stage. Her composition El Girasol– in collaboration with Oscar Jimenez and Leonardo Rodriguez– was selected as a finalist at the 2018 International Songwriting Competition.
Awards and Recognitions include:
Finalist • Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham Art Gallery
Finalist • 2020 The Global Art Awards, Shanghai Edition
Winner • Packers’ Art Prize + People’s Choice Award at Corangamarah Art Prize, 2018
Winner • ROI Art Prize, Melbourne VIC
Featured Artist • Malaysia Art Expo Plus (KL, Malaysia)
Featured Artist • Melbourne Fringe Festival Award Winning Exhibition Fifty Shades Of Blak’
Finalist • 2017 Emerging Artist Awards (45 Downstairs Gallery, Melbourne)
Finalist • 2017, Contemporary Art Awards (Australia)
Finalist • 2015, Brisbane Art Prize (Australia)
Finalist • 2014, Glencore Percival Portrait Painting Prize
Awarded • 2014, 29th Chelsea International Art Competition (USA)
Winner • 2011, Tolarno Hotel Annual Award (Australia)
Winner • 2010, NMIT Print Making Annual Award (winner)
Artist Statement
History of the western world reveals an intentional repression of the feminine viewpoint – leading to a dramatic disconnection to nature and our roots in something larger than ourselves. My work embarks on a journey towards reclaiming the feminine powers – as they exist in the shadows – while resonating with the ever-changing flux of women experience: ancient, mysterious, and interconnected.
Fundamentally rooted in my Latin American heritage and the magical realism movement I grew up with, my creative expression explores the mutual flourishing between worlds: humans and nature, diverse cultural exchanges, past and present, and the inner and outer spiritual realms. Through my art, I aim to create a space of reconciliation, fostering a culture of reciprocity and the resilience of the feminine spirit.
