Diana´s early years (1961 - 1969) were predominantly spent at the small beachside community of Yorkey´s Knob in Far North Queensland.
The close knit environment of the Yorkey´s Knob community meant the Crooke family regularly participated in the cultural traditions and festivities of the Torres Strait Islanders who also called the little Cairns suburb home. These years were instrumental in the development of Diana´s passion for the tropics, its indigenous peoples and their simplistic lifestyles.
The family´s move to the city late in 1968 saw Diana complete her secondary schooling in Sydney, after which she attended the highly esteemed Shilleto Design School. Her return to North Queensland in 1975 saw her experiment with screenprinting and clothing design before embarking on a career as a professional artist.
Diana´s works are largely inspired by the early memories of life at Yorkey´s Knob and her more recent excursions to the Fijian Islands in the south Pacific. Her use of vibrant colours demonstrates the rich palette of life in the tropics while the relaxed subject matter portrays the laiss´er-faire lifestyle characteristic of its native populations.
Diana Crooke´s first solo exhibition took place at the Upstairs Gallery in Cairns in May 1981. She has continued to exhibit, with resounding success around the nation, including two shows at the Holdsworth Gallery in Sydney, two at the Von Bertouch Gallery in Newcastle as well as the Gallery Baguette in Brisbane and several other exhibitions in Adelaide, Darwin, Melbourne and Perth. Diana´s work can be found in numerous international collections around the globe.
Diana Crooke regularly exhibits in Port Douglas and Cairns.
1 Source: North of Capricorn the art of Ray Crooke by Sue Smith, published 1997 Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville
Diana Crooke: Exhibition history
• 2011 - Gadfly Gallery, Perth
• 2009 - Gadfly Gallery, Perth
• 2006 - Green Hill Gallery, Perth - with Ray Crooke
• 2006 - Savill Gallery, Melbourne - with Ray Crooke
• 2004 - Gadfly Gallery, Perth - with Adrian Lockhart
• 2003 - Port Douglas Gallery of Fine Art, Qld
• 2002 - Cairns Regional Gallery, Qld - solo show
• 1999 - Noosa, Darwin, Adelaide - group shows
• 1995 - Mowbray Gallery, Port Douglas, Qld
• 1994 - Cairns Regional Gallery, Qld
• 1990 - Gallery Baguette, Brisbane, Qld
• 1989 - Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
• 1988 - Ann Von Bertough Gallery, Newcastle, NSW with Ray Crooke
• 1984 - Ann Von Bertough Gallery, Newcastle, NSW
• 1982 - Upstairs Gallery, Cairns, Qld with Ray Crooke
• 1981 - Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 1981 - Upstairs Gallery, Cairns, Qld
Reference: http://www.dianacrooke.com/about.php Downloaded 15 May 2012
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