Hearman first came to public notice in 1986 when she spent a year painting a mural on the inside of the concrete dome of the old gymnasium at the Missions to Seamen building in Flinders Street in Melbourne. The premises also served as her studio at that time. In 1991 her work was exhibited at Australian National University's Drill Hall Gallery in a solo show, "The corpreal body", whilst in 1993 she was chosen by the curators for that year's Australia Perspecta exhibition. Her work next gained recognition through an appearance on the short-list for the 1999 Contempora 5 award, whilst in both 2000 and 2005 she was exhibited at the National Gallery of Australia; in 2000 appearing in the "Uncommon World; Aspects of Contemporary Australian Art" exhibition which ran from 15 July until 22 Oct; and in 2005 within the "Big Spooks" exhibition. In 2007 her piece Untitled #1158 was chosen for exhibition as part of the city of Sydney's Open Gallery exhibition, which described the roster of artists chosen as representing "leading Australian and international artists". Her portrait, Bill-1383, won the 2014 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize; while in 2016, she won the Archibald Prize for her portrait of entertainer, satirist, painter and Dadaist, Barry Humphries.
Artistic work
Hearman’s works are characterised by surreal juxtapositions, eerie light, and strong emotive emphasis. There are recurring themes of floating heads, sleek aeroplanes, floral close-ups, and limitless roads. Hearman is particularly vague about the meanings of her works, preferring to let the viewers make their own interpretations. This is why she leaves all her works untitled.
Influences
Growing up in suburban Croydon, Hearman took to painting and drawing at a young age. As a child she had limited ability to travel, so her initial subjects were the landscape around her. Landscapes have subsequently formed the basis of many of her works. Clarice Beckett has been identified by Australian arts writer, critic and broadcaster Bruce James as a possible influence on Hearman, James writing in The Sydney Morning Herald in 2002 that "Hearman's interest in uncanny situations and mind states can surely trace its pedigree back to Beckett's twilight zone.". There has been some speculation that Hearman was influenced by the television showThe X-Files. Hearman denies this, stating that she watches very little television, and has not seen the series.
