Julia Holden - Bio
Julia Holden is a multidisciplinary artist whose distinctive practice centres on collaborative portraiture and the hidden dimensions of creative work. Through painting, performance, and social engagement, she explores labour, materiality, and the profound connections that emerge when art becomes a shared experience. Her participatory methods were honed during her time in post-earthquake Ōtautahi Christchurch, where creating art in response to crisis and community shaped her collaborative approach.
Holden's ongoing projects The Artist (2024–ongoing) and I'm Your Fan (2014–present) interrogate the invisible aspects of creative practice, inviting participants to become co-creators rather than passive subjects. Her work merges traditional painting with sculpture, performance, photography and new media, encouraging interaction and exchange rooted in community dialogue. This innovative approach has earned her recognition through several national art awards and exhibitions at prestigious venues including the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, City Gallery Wellington, and Sarjeant Gallery.