Kate Banazi

Kate Banazi’s artwork is inherently tied to the human body. Born from life-drawing sketches, the body is transformed into abstracted shapes and signature bright hues, evolving through the physical excursions of hand-pulled silk screen prints onto various materials. Her fascination with the human form began with her family’s background in fashion, where she observed fabrics draped over bodily curves and colourful patterns inspired by her Indian father’s heritage. Banazi’s process is multifaceted—moving from sketch to computer, to photograph, to screen, and then to print. Each layer adds an aspect of distortion, reshaping beauty and embracing personification of form. The physically demanding nature of her process mirrors the tensions of inhabiting a body, fluctuating between control and chaos.Through abstraction, Banazi creates space for the body’s complexity and vulnerability to exist beyond rigid definitions. This is reflected in her diverse mediums, including acrylic, paper, and light works. Themes of sensuality remain central, as she deliberately subverts the expectation that women’s bodies and their artistic expressions must be ornamental. Instead, she reconfigures and exposes the body, challenging flesh and desire through graphic folds, lips, and structure. Banazi’s work offers a powerful commentary on body autonomy, self-image, and our evolving relationship with identity and form.

Kate Banazi (b. 1970, London, UK) is a mixed-media artist known for her innovative approach to contemporary printmaking on unconventional materials. She graduated with a BA Honours from Central Saint Martins College London in 1994 and has since built a career with exhibitions both internationally and locally. Her work has been presented in institutions, including the National Gallery of Victoria, Powerhouse, and Canberra Glassworks. Beyond solo exhibitions, Banazi’s works have been featured in large-scale public art projects, including a light projection on the William Jolly Bridge for Brisbane Art Outside, a striking 30-metre sculpture on Parkside’s façade in Macquarie Park, and a sculpture installation at Brookfield Place, Sydney. She has been selected as a finalist for prominent art prizes, including the Burnie Printmaking Prize, John Glover Landscape prizes and the Ravenswood Art Prize. Amongst others, Banazi’s work has been published in Silkscreen Masters: Secrets of the World’s Top Screen Printers by Moleskine and Sketching Process by Skeehan Studio, cementing her influence in contemporary printmaking. Living and working on Gadigal Lands in Sydney, she has been represented by Curatorial+Co. since 2015, reinforcing her status as a leading artist in her field