Josephine Cachemaille (b. 1971, New Zealand Aotearoa) is an award-winning installation artist who makes paintings, objects and assemblages. She approaches art-making as a place to engage with non-human things as bodies with needs, desires and agency. She describes objects, materials and media as “collaborators” who know things and have the capacity to act. Cachemaille’s installations often offer sustained scenarios for sensuous engagement with the artworks, playfully asking viewers to enter into the explicitly anthropomorphic activity that underpins her methodology. In this sense, she is exploring the potential of art-making as kind of relational ontology, where dominant ways of “knowing” the world are challenged.
Josephine has a degree in Psychology and a post-graduate diploma in Fine Art. She has won the Wallace Art Award Jury Prize (2016), The National Contemporary Awards Merit Prize (2016), and Molly Morpeth Canaday 3D (2018) and 2D (2017) Merit Prizes. Cachemaille has had multiple solo and public exhibitions nationally and internationally. She lives in Nelson Whakatu, New Zealand with her husband music journalist Grant Smithies.
Selected Exhibitions
2022
Everybody SoundSystem collaborative project, Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara ( August - September 2022)
Be Soft Be Strong solo, Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Back to the Garden solo presentation, Threads Textile Festival, Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara
2021
This Way That Way solo presentation, Dowse Art Museum, Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara.https://dowse.org.nz/exhibitions/detail/this-way-that-way
Back to Life presentation, Te Ramaroa Festival, Nelson Whakatu
2020
Thinking About Thinking About The Future Group show, Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau. Curated by Chloe Geoghegan
https://www.teuru.org.nz/index.cfm/whats-on/calendar/thinking-about-thinking-about-the-future/
High hopes installation, Viewfinder Project Space, Nelson Whakatu https://www.viewfinderwindow.com/artist
She’s a Force solo, Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Material Slip group show, University of Wyoming Art Museum, Wyoming, USA
http://www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum/exhibitions/archives/2020/material-slip/index.html
2019
New Zealand Presentation Beijing Biennale 2019, Beijing, China
Sanderson Contemporary Art at Sydney Art Fair, Australia
OLD ENERGIES project installation, Wallace Arts Trust Pah Homestead, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
The 27th Annual Wallace Art Awards 2019: Exhibition of Winners and Finalists, Pah Homestead, Auckland, Pataka Art and Museum, Wellington, The Suter Gallery, Nelson; and CoCA, Christchurch
2018
FEELS installation, Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
MY RELICS NOT MY RELICS solo, Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Material Slip group show, The University of Hawai’i, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Finalist Exhibition: The Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards, Whakatane Museum and Arts
2017
US, US, US solo show, The Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatu, Nelson, New Zealand
Finalist Exhibition: The Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards, Whakatane Museum and Arts
The 26th Annual Wallace Art Awards 2017: Exhibition of Winners and Finalists, Pataka Art and Museum, Wellington
Sanderson Contemporary Art at Sydney Art Fair, Australia
2016
FEEL UP! solo, Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Same as it ever was solo show, Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
The 25th Annual Wallace Art Awards 2016: Exhibition of Winners and Finalists, Pah Homestead Auckland, and Wallace Gallery Morrinsville
The National Contemporary Art Awards Finalists 2016, Waikato Museum, Hamilton
2014
Active Agents / Passive Matter solo show, Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Sanderson Contemporary Art at Melbourne Art Fair, Australia
The 23rd Annual Wallace Art Awards 2016, Pah Homestead, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Testing Testing solo show, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson Whakatu
Tools of the Trade group show, Paul Nache Gallery, Gisborne
2013
Give me the light solo show, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Cruel City, group show, The Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatu, Nelson Whakatu
Sanderson Contemporary Art at Auckland Art Fair
2012
I can change solo show, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Creep group show, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
2011
Recover solo show, Nelson Marlborough Institute ofTechnology Gallery, Nelson Whakatu
Sanderson Contemporary Art at Auckland Art Fair
2010
Artist in Focus at The Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatu, Nelson Whakatu
Salvation solo show, Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Are You Positive? solo show, Corridor Gallery: experimental art space, Nelson Whakatu
2009
The Universe Will Provide! solo show, Red Gallery, Nelson Whakatu
Self Help solo show, Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau
Far Far Away group show curated by Karl Chitham at Rawene Public Art Gallery
Awards
Molly Morpeth Canaday 3D Award Merit Prize 2018
Molly Morpeth Canaday 2D Award Merit Prize 2017
Wallace Art Awards Jury Prize 2016 (Collaborative project)
National Contemporary Art Awards Merit Prize 2016 (Collaborative project)
The Wallace Art Awards Finalist 2014, 2016, 2018
Best Visual Arts Award, Dunedin Fringe Festival 2008