Marisa Ballinger is a contemporary multidisciplinary artist living in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Highly influenced by her Ngiyampaa heritage, Marisa’s artistic practice delves into the intricate complexities of self-identity, embracing the notion that identity is not fixed but rather a dynamic and ever-evolving journey. Drawing upon memory and experience, Marisa expresses deeply intertwined personal, cultural, and historical narratives in her work. Marisa finds inspiration in personal stories and the nuance of everyday life, creating works that capture the intrinsic relationship between maker, medium, and creative process. In a practice characterised by an appreciation of form, line, and meticulous process, her work is explorative and diverse, incorporating various media, including fibre, textile, clay, timber, metal and found materials.
Currently studying a Bachelor of Visual Art at the University of Southern Queensland, Marisa blends contemporary and traditional techniques in works that investigate form and the interaction between negative and positive space. Her installations explore light cast shadows as a method of integrating the metaphysical influences within her work, reflecting the deeper motivations within her process while expanding both narrative and visual experience. A central theme in her work is the relationship between fragility and strength within our human existence and both elements coexist literally and metaphorically throughout her investigation of material and meaning. Seeking to better understand the world around her and her unique place within it, Marisa encourages a deeper conversation about identity, connection, and resilience.
