Davida Allen


Davida Frances Allen is an Australian painter, film maker and writer.

Career

Allen studied under Betty Churcher at the Stuartholme School, Brisbane and later under Roy Churcher at Brisbane Central Technical College. She won the Archibald Prize in 1986 for her portrait of her father-in-law Dr John Shera. Allen has written and illustrated two books, and has created a 50-minute film, Feeling Sexy, on the struggles of an artist attempting to reconcile the conflicting demands of bohemia and suburbia. At the 1999 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, she was nominated for the award for "Best Direction" for that film and she won the "Best Original Screenplay" award. The film was also invited to the Venice Film Festival.
She frequently confronts the themes of family and sexuality; regarding the latter she has said: "if we are truly feminist in the fullest sense of the word, we shouldn't have felt we had to lock it away or be really careful about it. We should be chauvinist in our womanhood." Allen is represented in most major public collections in Australia.

Exhibitions

Australian exhibitions