Julia Holderness

Ōtautahi Christchurch 

Julia Holderness (b.1980) lives and works in Ōtautahi Christchurch. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2002) at the University of Canterbury and both an Honours in Visual Arts (2015) and a Visual Arts PhD in practice-led research (2022) at AUT University.

Her PhD thesis titled “Ever Present Archiving: methodologies for art histories through invention, fabrication and social practice” explores archives and their construction of art-historical narratives. Her research centers on an enduring interest in the histories of women artists, the overlooked and parallel stories that can often be obscured in traditional scholarship/art history.

Holderness critiques traditionally held divides between art historical scholarship and artistic fabrication. Her practice and outputs are often collaborative and she works alongside both historic and current artists. Holderness has exhibited throughout Aotearoa including at Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Aigantighe, Rokowhirria Ashburton Art Gallery, Objectspace, NorthArt, the Arts House Trust at Pah Homestead and Ilam Campus Gallery.

In 2024 Holderness was included in the landmark exhibition Modern Women: Flight of Time at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Highlighting the leading role women artists have played in shaping the development of modern art in Aotearoa New Zealand, Holderness produced two vitrine installations, photographs and an audio work for the exhibition. Her practice ranges across installation, ceramic, textile and painting production.