JANA VODESIL-BARUFFI

Jana Vodesil-Baruffi

Jana is a West Australian based fine artist and art educator grown up and schooled in the best traditions of Europe. Her realistic portraits, landscapes and fantastic realism works have won prestigious state and national competitions and sell both nationally and abroad. 

She did not choose art, it chose her! Creativity became a light source Jana kept turning to in life to keep her sanity, happiness and contentment. Art gives her an opportunity to express feelings, ideas and values without speaking. 

Jana’s work can be divided into two categories: Portraits & Fantastic realism and Landscapes (paintings from my extensive travels). She love painting portraits, be it traditional or in fantastic realism style. The fascination with faces, their expressions and that which is invisible, is something she can’t let go off. The desire to look deeper into the soul of a person and express what she see’s in there is irresistible. An intimate love of nature and the human body, their shapes and colours helps her to lead you into a world of fantasy – controlled illusion, charged with emotions, which seems almost believable. 

Painting landscapes gives Jana a needed respite from other works. These realistic and impressionistic works from her travels shows the beautiful world we live in and serves as a perfect tool for teaching students worldwide.

Jana is a founding member of the Contemporary Australian Surrealists Movement in Western Australia as well as a member of West Australian portrait artists. Her art is exhibited in her studio-gallery Metamorphosis Art Gallery and some of her paintings are reproduced into small (usually 20) high quality, signed limited edition prints on canvas or paper.

EXHIBITIONS

Group Exhibitions 

  • 2025 Feminine Fragility, Moore’s Building Gallery, Western Australia

  • 2025 WASA Annual Exhibition, Western Australia

  • 2025 24th Japan International Art Exhibition, Tokyo

  • 2024 WASA Annual Exhibition, Western Australia

  • 2024 Chasing Dreams in the Deep Blue, Qingdao International Artists Exhibition

  • 2024 23rd Japan International Art Exhibition, Tokyo

  • 2024 Visceral Pleasures, Metamorphosis Gallery, Western Australia

  • 2023 WASA Annual Exhibition, Western Australia

  • 2023 Black and White, Metamorphosis Gallery, Western Australia

  • 2023 In and Out of our minds, Metamorphosis Gallery, Western Australia

  • 2022, Duet, Mt Pleasant , Western Australia

  • 2021, Mindscapes, CASM, Moores Building Art Gallery, Western Australia

  • 2019, Mindscapes, CASM, Gomboc Gallery Sculpture Park, Western Australia

  • 2018, Mindscapes, CASM, Moores Building Art Gallery, Western Australia 

  • 2018, Skin Deep, WAPA, Moores Building Art Gallery, Western Australia 

  • 2017, Cambridge Studio Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 

  • 2017, Royal Perth Golf Club, South Perth, Western Australia, 

  • 2016, Kidogo Art House, Fremantle, Western Australia, 

  • 2017/2015, Paintings for a Cause Calendar Competition, Metamorphosis Art Gallery, Willetton, Australia 

  • 2017/2016/2015, WAPA, Kidogo Arthouse, Fremantle, Western Australia, 

  • 2015, Portraits of Life, Pluslife, Perth City Farm, Western Australia, 

  • 2015, Master Dei College, Western Australia, 

  • 2016/2015/2014, Surrealism Now, Metamorphosis Art Gallery, Western Australia, 

  • 2015/2014/2013, The Royal Agricultural Society of WA Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 2013/2012/2011, Metamorphosis Art Gallery, Western Australia, 

  • 2010, Out from Down Under and Beyond, Agora Gallery, Chelsea, New York, United States of America 

  • 2009, Scarpateti, Sondrio, Italy 

  • 2021,2017/2015/2012/2008/2007/2006, Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Western Australia, 

  • 2006, Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, New South Wales, Australia 

  • 2012/2008/2007/2006, LaSalle College Fine Art Exhibition, Western Australia, 

  • 2006, City of Canning Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 2006, Art show at the SAS Regiment Auxiliary, Western Australia, 

  • 2006/2005, City of Belmont Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 2005/2006, Mazenod College Fine Art Exhibition, Western Australia, 

  • 2005, Murdoch Hospice Art Show, Western Australia, 

  • 2005, City of Canning Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 2017/2016/2011/20062005//1988, City of Melville Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 1988, Bicentennial Art Award, York, Western Australia, 

  • 1987, Matilda Bay Restaurant Art Award, Western Australia, 

  • 1985/1984, Melbourne Art Show, New South Wales, Australia

Solo Exhibitions 

  • 2023, ‘Half the Sky’, Metamorphosis Art Studio/Gallery, Western Australia,  

  • 2018/2017/2016/2015/2014/2013, Metamorphosis Art Studio/Gallery, Western Australia,  

  • 2014/2013, Permanent Impressions, Perth-Central Park and 10 regional towns of Western Australia,  

  • 2012, One artist, one day, one year, The West Australian Club, Western Australia,  

  • 2011/2010, Canning College Computing Centre, Western Australia,  

  • 2010, Love affair with Italy, Italian Club, Fremantle, Western Australia,  

  • 2009, Ente Filarmonico Italiano, Arezzo, Italy 

  • 2008, Ground Beneath my Feet, Linton & Kay Gallery, Subiaco, Western Australia,  

  • 2006, Life, Death and in Between, St John of God Hospital, Subiaco, Western Australia,  

  • 2007/2006/2005, Denada Café, Western Australia, Australia 

  • 2005, Then and Now, Pastels, oils, acrylic and drawings, Atwell Gallery, Western Australia,  

  • 1989, Pastels at Gomboc Gallery, Western Australia,  

  • 1984, Ceramic, china painting, copper enameling and drawings (private art studio), Australia

PUBLICATIONS

  • Trough the Artists’ Eyes: The Lester Prize - The Black Swan, 2019, Book

  • Artists of Perth, Gabi Mills and Lisa Shearon, Premium Publishers, 2017, Book 

  • Extra.ordinary. Business Women, Carmen Jenner and Clare McAlaney, Creatavision Publishing, 2017, Book 

  • Colour in Your Life, Graeme Stevenson, 2015, Television Series 

  • Permanent Impressions – a salute to contemporary heroines, Jana Vodesil-Baruffi and Carmen Jenner, Carina Hoang Communications, 2013, Book

    The book won the bronze medal in the Best Regional Non-Fiction category for the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York. 

Jana’s work has been featured many times in magazines such as Home and Garden, The Building and Design Yearbook, The Finishing Touch, and The West Australian Newspaper, and many of her articles on the subject of decorative art have been published.

VIEW AWARDS

2022 Finalist, Lethbridge 20000, QLD

2021 Finalist, Lester Prize, Western Australia

2021 1st & 2nd Place, American Art Awards – Portraiture, USA

2021 5th Place, American Art Awards – Landscape, USA

2020 Finalist, Darling Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, ACT

2019 Finalist, Lethbridge 20000, QLD

2019 5th and 4th Place in American Art Awards - Portraiture, landscape, Fantasy and Religious art, USA

2018 Semi-finalist, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, NSW

2018 Finalist, Liberty Liquors Portrait Prize, Western Australia

2017 Winner, Lester Prize for Portraiture, Western Australia

2017 Winner, Paintings for a Cause Calendar Competition,Western Australia

2017 Finalist, Pro Hart Outback Art Prize, NSW 2017 Finalist,

RSASA/SALA Portrait Prize, WA 2016 Finalist, Paintings for a Cause, WA

2015 Finalis Lester Prize for Portraiture, WA

2014 Winner, City of Melville Art Award, WA

2013 Most Creative Award, Belmont Business Enterprise Centre, WA

2012 Finalist, Lester Prize for Portraiture, WA

2009 Finalist, Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, WA

2008 Finalist, Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, WA

2007 People’s Choice Award, Black Swan Prize, WA

2007 Finalist, Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, WA

2006 Winner, City of Canning Art Award, WA

1988 Winner, City of Melville Art Award, WA

1988 Overall winner and first prize in Pastel, Bicentennial Art Exhibition in York, WA