About the Artist
Teresa Durie captures the ephemeral grace of ballet through artwork that transcends the physical realm. Her ethereal dancers seem to float between worlds, existing in luminous spaces where movement becomes meditation and form dissolves into feeling. Each piece invites viewers into a dreamscape where the boundaries between observer and observed blur—where the arc of a limb or the sweep of fabric carries emotional weight beyond representation.
Vision & Background
Durie’s work doesn’t merely depict dance; it distills its essence into something more fundamental—the intersection of beauty, emotion, and artistic expression. This deep connection stems from a life lived in motion, having trained in ballet from early childhood through to her teenage years.
After initially studying fine art upon leaving school in Sydney, Australia, Teresa's career path led her into graphic design. However, her foundational passion for the fine arts never left her, eventually drawing her back to a dedicated, full-time studio practice. Working predominantly in pastel, she explores the duality of dance by blurring, smudging, and defining forms, utilizing dramatic lighting to capture both quiet, vulnerable moments and the electric energy of the stage.
Recognition & Current Direction
Since returning to the studio, Teresa's work has resonated deeply within the fine art community. A finalist in numerous prestigious art competitions, she was recently awarded First Prize in the Pastel Section at the Royal Queensland Art Society (RQAS) Members Annual Exhibition for her striking piece, ‘La Sylph’.
Her transcendent vision recently culminated in a milestone solo exhibition in Korea, titled Dance of Chromophilia. For this body of work, Durie shifted her focus toward high-chroma, vibrant, and saturated colours. By infusing these intense tones into her signature play of shadow and light, she transforms the fleeting moment of a dancer’s gesture into something timeless, offering viewers an escape into a world where art, movement, and feeling are one.
membership profiles
Royal Queensland Art Society
https://rqas.com.au/teresa-durie/
Arts Connect
https://artsconnectinc.com.au/teresa-durie/
a note of thanks
Kazuo Ota
https://unsplash.com/@kazuo513
for his photographic reference
Tsuchiya Ballet
https://www.instagram.com/tsuchiya.ballet/
Yamada Ballet
https://www.instagram.com/yamadaballet_ybs
https://www.yamada-ballet.jp
Art Education
2015 – Diploma Visual Art – Nambour TAFE Sunshine Coast QLD
1985 – Graphic Design Certificate - Randwick TAFE Sydney NSW
1980 – Art Certificate (Fine Art) - St George TAFE Sydney NSW
Further Studies / Workshops
2023– Figurative art and Composition - Scott Breton Royal Qld Art Society Brisbane
2021-2026 – Studio Classes - Artschool Co Buderim QLD - continuing
2022– Jessica LeClerc Portrait in oils - Artschool Co Buderim QLD
2020 – Intensive Week - Julian Ashton Art School Sydney NSW
2020 – Anatomy of Style Life Drawing (Patrick Jones Illustrator) - Bienarté Brisbane QLD
Awards
2026– Soft Pastels Art Prizes (Finalist)
2026 – RQAS Members Annual A mix of Media, Petrie Terrace Gallery (Finalist)
2026– RQAS (Brisbane Branch) Inc. QLD Figurative Award, Petrie Terrace Gallery (Finalist)
2025 – RQAS Brisbane Art Showcase #2, The Star Brisbane Event Centre at Queen’s Wharf Brisbane (Finalist)
2025 – Brisbane Rotary Art Show, Queen St, Brisbane (Finalist)
2025 – RQAS Members Annual A mix of Media, Petrie Terrace Gallery (1st Prize -pastel)
2025 – RQAS Harold & Agnes Richardson Drawing Prize Award, Petrie Terrace Gallery (Finalist)
2024 – RQAS (Brisbane Branch) Inc. Figurative Award, Petrie Terrace Gallery (Finalist)
2024 – Brisbane Rotary Art Show, Queen St, Brisbane (Finalist)
2024 – LETHBRIDGE20000, Salon des Refusés, Lethbridge Gallery small scale art award (Finalist)
2023 – Petite Pieces, Aspire Gallery (Finalist)
2023 – RQAS Harold & Agnes Richardson Drawing Prize Award, Petrie Terrace Gallery (Finalist)
2022 – Kenilworth Arts Council, Jean Glanvill Memorial Prize – (Encouragement Award)
2022 – RQAS Figurative Award, Petrie Terrace Gallery (Finalist)
2016– Gympie Show – (1st place)
2015 – Diploma Visual Art Exhibition Nambour TAFE (Eckesley’s Major Sponsor Award)
2015 – Gympie Gold Rush – (Highly Commended)
Solo Exhibitions
2026 – ‘Dance of Chromophilia’ Jeonju, Republic of Korea
2026 – ‘Aspects of Grace’ Giggling Goat Cafe Dicky Beach QLD
2025 – ‘Aspects of Grace’ Talented Friends by Laura Gallery and Art Space, Caloundra QLD
2022 – Open Studios Sunshine Coast
2021 – February 2023 - Le Rendezvous Cafe Caloundra QLD
Group Exhibitions
2026 – Kenilworth Arts Fest, Kenilworth QLD
2026 – ‘Artspace Gallery’’ Montville QLD
2026 – ‘Creative Together’ Beerwah Library QLD
2025 – Sadaemun International Artists Community Exhibition SOUTH KOREA
2025 – Kenilworth Arts Fest, Kenilworth QLD
2025 – Big Little Art Show - Talented Friends by Laura Gallery and Art Space, Caloundra QLD
2025 – Caloundra Arts Centre Caloundra QLD
2025 – Kenilworth Arts Fest, Kenilworth QLD
2025 – Caloundra Arts Centre Caloundra QLD
2024 – Caloundra Arts Centre Caloundra QLD
2024 – Studio Student Exhibition Art School Co Buderim
2024 – International artists exhibition Gallery Hanok, Jeonju SOUTH KOREA
2024 – Royal Queensland Art Society (Brisbane Branch) Inc. Members Exhibition Brisbane QLD
2024 – Kenilworth Arts Council, Kenilworth QLD
2024 – Caloundra Arts Centre Caloundra QLD
2024 – ‘Stepping out’ fine art exhibition at Vianta Bar and Café Beerwah QLD
2024 – Tsuchiya ballet recital Nagasaki Cultural Centre JAPAN
2024 - 2023 - Talented Friends Gallery Caloundra QLD
2022 – Studio Student Exhibition Art School Co Buderim (also curating / hanging committee member)
2021 – Studio Student Exhibition Art School Co Buderim QLD
2015 - Graduating Student Diploma of Visual Art Exhibition Nambour TAFE QLD
1985 – Graduating Student Graphic Design Certificate - Randwick TAFE Sydney NSW
1980 – Graduating Student Art Certificate (Fine Art) - St George TAFE Sydney NSW