Pilar Mata Dupont and Tarryn Gill, artists/performers

Tarryn and Pilar were born in Perth in 1981 and completed a Bachelor of Arts (Art) at Curtin University of Technology in 2001. In 2007 Pilar also completed a Certificate of Music Theatre at WAAPA. Working collaboratively since 2001 their practice encompasses photography, performance, choreography, film, installation, theatre work and design. They are multidisciplinary artists, producers and performers with backgrounds in dance and music theatre respectively. Since 2004 Tarryn and Pilar have been working with Perth-based artist and writer Thea Costantino towards a musical theatre work entitled Heart of Gold, which will be staged in late 2009.

The artists have been involved in various solo and group exhibitions, including Contemporary Australian Art — Optimism, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane (2008); Primavera, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (2008); Linden1968, Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts, Melbourne (2008); From the Heart of Gold Projects, Perth Centre for Photography (2008); Girl Parade, Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney (2007); Economy, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (2007); Oomph, Canberra Contemporary Art Space (2007); Flux2, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, Perth (2005); and Hotel6151, Rhodes Hotel, Perth (2002).

They have recently been confirmed as Artistic Directors for STEPS Youth Dance Company for Epic Battles, Tragic Romances which will be performed at the Playhouse, Perth in April 2009. Their work has been featured in publications such as Photofile, Artlink and Australian Vogue, and they have been the recipients of a number of grants from the Australia Council and Western Australia’s Department of Culture and the Arts. In 2007 Pilar and Tarryn won the City of Perth Art Award for their photographic work So That Liberty Shall Not Perish From This Earth from the Heart of Gold Project 3 series.