Samantha Thompson is a multidisciplinary artist and regional arts advocate based in regional Victoria, Australia. Her vibrant, playful and feminist works employ traditional craft techniques, as well as printmaking, to encourage adults to play. Thompson's process is quick and fearless, producing a flurry of work. Her upcycled handmade works of numerous mediums playfully translate to performance and public art offerings. An ode to femininecoded practices underpins her dedication to formative studies in family craft as well as long-standing textile techniques. This unique blend of practical skill and personality has paved the way for her recent boundary-pushing 'Relationship to Play' series, which examines why and when adults play, encouraging a more playful attitude.
Thompson was born in Sydney in 1978 to parents of US descent and she credits her experiences in the family fashion business as being instrumental to her progression as a professional artist. Her early ventures in the creative arts saw her developing product shoots and design campaigns for an international fashion label while producing and selling original work. Thompson completed a Bachelor of Studio Textile Design at RMIT University in 2009, majoring in Studio Print and Weave, and graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts in 2021. Completing her Masters of Contemporary Art from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2023, Thompson continues to develop her practice, which is transforming into performance and public art installations.
Thompson has exhibited in numerous galleries across Australia and produced 22 solo exhibitions since 2003. Her works have also been exhibited internationally and can be found in private and public collections.