Gallery One would like to welcome new artist Chanelle Rose. Chanelle Rose is an Australian contemporary fine artist, known for her striking characters and highly detailed large-scale artworks using ink, and more recently oil paint.
With a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Contemporary Art, Chanelle’s work is inspired by human behaviour during life events, where good people are challenged to override the impacts of difficult situations (or people). The art Illustrates these situations from the perspective of inner perceptions; what is going on quietly within, that which is not expressed externally.
‘I create strong characters that reflect our inner perceptions, our summoned courageous self, who we need to help us, or who we have to become to get through life’s challenges… each character has their own story, a strong message, and my artwork is the messenger’.
Chanelle creates each piece with the purpose of resonating with the viewer in such a way that it empowers the viewer to have faith in who they are, to have the strength to fight injustice, and the strength to represent justice.
Coming from a contemporary art context, her subjects defy traditional social definitions of strong symbols (skulls, spikes, masks etc.) and instead uses them to embody elegant and sophisticated characters who reflect how we view our world from within; our responses to diverse, personal and social issues.
‘The work is strong because it carries a strong message.’
The suited skull characters for example are perceived as alive, they do not represent death, darkness or evil as skulls are often portrayed. Instead, they represent our core inner-self, our private thoughts, fears, strengths and values. They do not define race, sex, culture, or have distinguishing facial features, they represent what it is simply to be ‘human. We are united by the fact that we as humans all have a skull, and the skulls purpose is to protect the brain – which in-turn, holds our thoughts and perceptions.
The masks represent being silent, not speaking our thoughts, or instead being silenced. The spikes show levels of inner rage, finger claws are beautifully intricate and reflect being ready to take on a given situation, and the chains remind us to be careful with whom we share our thoughts with… having trust and constraint within oneself.
As the work and the collection of characters have grown, the timeline of events also reflect the characters coming through situations, pausing to draw inner strength from the morning light, flourishing, and embracing new beginnings. As the work evolves, the use of colour has entered Chanelle’s work and at times, her characters are seen uniting together to incite justice.
Chanelle Rose
'The Moderator'
"The Moderator' Close Up
'The Brothers'
“Those that understand the deeper layers of being human, see so much more”
From a contemporary art perspective, each piece has a story written to inspire and prompt reflection, of a time well known to the viewer.
Much of Chanelle’s work sits within the collections of people where the art represents either themselves, or has become a part of an important message for their own viewers. For those who have had to draw heavily on strength and resilience to get to where they are now, the artwork and its message hangs proudly within their beautiful homes: as a reminder of who they are, who they have had to be, and how they got there.
“At times we forget the details… what we needed for strength, to strategise, be courageous, to pause, to bathe and energise in the morning light.., the artwork reminds us”
Commissions Private client commissions – Australian and International Clients, 2015-Current
Private Collections:
‘Silenced’ selected for display at the London School of Economics and Political Science
(15-year loan) – 2025
Original artwork collection of 11x large scale artworks acquired by Busta Rhymes – 2019.
‘Silenced’ included in Two Houses: Politics and Histories in the Contemporary Art Collections
of John Chia and Yeap Lam Yang, ICA Singapore – 2018
Art Prizes & Exhibitions:
The Visionary (digital artwork) – VOLTA Art Fair – 2025
Highly Commended, Clayton Utz Art Award, Lethbridge Gallery – 2024
Beautiful Bizarre Exhibition ‘Interconnected’ – New England Regional Art Museum – 2022
Highly commended, Lethbridge Gallery 20000 Small Scale Art Price – 2019
Finalist – Hobart Art Prize Finalist, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery – 2015
Finalist – Marie Ellis OAM Drawing Prize, Juggler’s Art Space – 2015
Publications:
Featured Artist – ‘Two Houses: Politics and histories in the contemporary art collections of
John Chia and Yeap Lam Yang’, Book, 2018
Feature Artist – Semi-Permanent Book, 2016
Feature Artist – Semi-Permanent Book, 2012
Cover Artwork:
Busta Rhymes (Hip Hop Artist) Album Cover – ‘ELE2: The Wrath of God’ – 2020
Busta Rhymes (Hip Hop Artist) Single Cover – ‘Girlfriend’ 2017
Editorial & Promotions:
ELE2 Promotional Campaign – Artwork featured on Times Square New York, on Buses in
London, on the Tonight Show, and billboards worldwide.
Feature Article – New Wave Magazine, 2020
Feature Article – Blank Street Press, 2020
Feature Article – Black GC Magazine, 2016
Mercury Magazine article Hobart Art Prize, 2015
Charity:
‘Moss Deck Art Show Charity Auction’ – Ambush Gallery Sydney 2021 ‘Praise You’ Exhibition
– Butterfly Foundation 2018
‘Praise You’ Exhibition – Butterfly Foundation 2017
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Griffith University, Major in Contemporary Art – 2012
Private Digital Media studies – 2020