Joanne Handley is a Sydney born Thirroul based artist whose practice employs painting, drawing and digital technologies. Her work explores the emotional and psychological stories of her subjects within their socio-political landscape and addresses issues of human connectedness, denial and loss of innocence. She is interested in the personal responses that leave us bare-boned and transport us to disquieting in-between places beyond our known experience - moments of fragility, vulnerability and resilience.

Joanne has held solo shows in Australia and the United States and participated in numerous international group exhibitions and projects. Her work has been shown at venues including the New York Hall of Science, New York;  the Contemporary Art Museum at the Institute for Research in Art, USF, USA;  Kulturmodell Bräugasse, Passau, Germany;  Artists Space, New York;  Dynamic International Museum of Contemporary Art, Belforte del Chienti, Italy; the Centre for Maine Contemporary Art, USA; Wollongong City Gallery; Macquarie University Gallery; Gallery 4A Asia Australia Arts Centre and the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.

Her 2010 exhibition < BREATH - stories of love loss redemption > at the University of Wollongong explored stories of personal loss and suppression during the March 16 2008 uprising at Amdo Ngaba, Sichuan Province, Tibet. The exhibition was supported by a National Association of the Visual Arts Marketing Grant and included works previously selected for Personally Political - Contemporary Sensation, Art House Tacheles, Berlin and as finalists for the 2009 Phoenix Prize for Spiritual Art, SoFA Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra and the 57th Touring Blake Prize exhibition.

Joanne graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the University of New South Wales, College of Fine Arts in 2004, for which she undertook research in the United States. She holds a Bachelor of Art Education from the City Art Institute, SCAE and has taught at fine arts institutions in Australia and the US. She currently teaches at COFA, UNSW and the National Art School, Darlinghurst.

Joanne Handley's work is held in private and public collections nationally and internationally.