BIO

Humour and play are integral in the life and art of Joi Murugavell-- a lesson she learned from her father as an elixir to life’s absurdities. Behind the laughs lies a desperate desire to understand her world - away from the influences of family, friends and culture. Art is the process by which she navigates the layers she’s acquired along the way. Joi sought employment as a Graphic Designer for 12 years, always finishing her day by making a drawing which she saw as the healthiest after-work cigarette. “It was always necessary to make art”.

Joi’s art is spontaneous, who’s characters frequently act out life experiences, capturing the beauty and pain of the human experience and movement. Her art is often abstract, bright, biting, humorous — and always on the edge of either feeling good or being another way to bleed.

In 2017, she was part of a performance piece called ‘Ask Me Anything’ with the Museum Of Contemporary Art Australia’s Young Ambassadors Club. In 2018, Joi was invited by abc Gallery Seoul to have her first solo exhibition ‘Bananas Down Under’ in South Korea, a debut of her large format paintings. Since then Joi has exhibited nationally and internationally in the United States, China, London, Amsterdam, Belgium, Mexico, Taiwan, Korea and recently at The Hyundai Seoul Alt.1 Museum. Her work has been presented at major contemporary art fairs including ARCO Madrid, Art021 Shanghai, Korea International Art Fair (KIAF), Lille Art Up in France and Art Taipei.

Joi has experienced and learnt from her surroundings as a child growing up in Malaysia, early adulthood in New Zealand and 11 years living in Australia as a full blown adult. In 2023 Joi moved to France and currently lives and works in Alsace, France, next to a quiet dog park.

“Existence was not only absurd, it was plain hard work. Think of how many times you put on your underwear in a lifetime. It was appalling, it was disgusting, it was stupid.” - Charles Bukowski

Born in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Resides and works in Alsace, France

EDUCATION

MASTERS IN ART AND DESIGN, WITH HONOURS
Thesis: Visual Interface Design.
Myth of the Cave: Art and the dissection of meaning
Auckland University of Technology

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Majoring in Advertising
Auckland Institute of Technology

BACHELOR OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN
Auckland Institute of Technology

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025, Family Reunion, Dimensions Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2025, The Upside Down Bum, Alan Avery Art Company, Atlanta, USA
2024, Itching & Scratching, Praxis Art Space, Adelaide, Australia
2023, Spiders & Stars, El Nucleo Residency, Segovia, Spain
2023, Many Ways Home, Nonage Gallery, Singapore
2024, Nana Banana, Gallery Banditrazos x Insa1010 Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2022, Finding Mikey, Sarah Birtles Art, Sydney, Australia
2022, Solo Presentation, Art Solo, Fun Year Gallery, Taiwan
2018, Bananas Down Under, abc Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2018, Wood & Giggles, Something For Jess, Sydney, Australia
2016, Follow The Arrow, The Makers, Sydney, Australia
2014, Mr Tingles, Zetalnd Tree House Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2012, My 10 Crushes, Angela Robarts Bird Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024, Two Residencies, a Teapot and a Nudist Beach, Frock Gallery, Leper, Belgium
2024, Fundacion El Nucleo 5th Anniversary Show, Segovia, Spain
2024, Youth, Praxis Art Space, Adelaide, Australia
2023, Viva Arte, The Hyundai Museum Alt.1, Seoul, Korea
2023, Here’s What I Was Thinking, Sibyl Gallery, New Orleans, USA
2022, Laputa Gallery, Shanghai, China
2022, Summer Show, Frock Gallery, Leper, Belgium
2020, City Recital Hall, Sydney, Australia
2018, Ask Me Anything, Museum of Contemporary Art Young Ambassadors Club, Sydney, Australia
2019, The Edge of Abstraction, Black Gate Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2017, Centro Cultural Del Bosque (Ccb), Mexico
2017, Twenty/20 Art, Vandal Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2017, Group Show, O Gallery, Monterrey, Mexico

ART FAIRS

2025, Atlanta Art Fair, represented by Alan Avery Art Company, Atlanta, USA
2025, Art Taipei, represented by Fun Year Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
2025, Lille Art, represented by Mees-Van De Wiele Galerie, Lille, France
2025, One Art Taipei, represented by Fun Year Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
2025, Artparment Fair, represented by Banditrazos Gallery, Paju, Korea
2024, ARCO Madrid, represented by Galeria Ponce+Robles, Madrid, Spain
2024, Atlanta Art Fair, represented by Alan Avery Art Company, Atlanta, USA
2024, Art The Hague, represented by Mees-Van De Wiele Galerie, Den Haag, Netherlands
2024, Art Tainan, represented by Fun Year Gallery, Tainan, Taiwan
2023, ARCO Madrid, represented by Galeria Ponce+Robles, Madrid, Spain
2023, KIAF Seoul, represented by Banditrazos Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2023, AAF Brussels Art. Fair, represented by Frock Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
2022, Art Taipei, represented by Fun Year Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
2022, Marie Claire Art Fair Seoul, represented by Banditrazos Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2022, KIAF Seoul, represented by Banditrazos Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2022, Art Solo Taipei, represented by Fun Year Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
2022, Bama Busan, Banditrazos Gallery, Busan, South Korea
2021, Art Taichung, represented by Fun Year Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
2021, Incheon Art Show, represented by Banditrazos Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2021, Art021 Shanghai, represented by Funia Gallery, Shanghai, China
2021, Art Daegu, represented by Banditrazos Gallery, Daegu, Korea
2021, KIAF Seoul, represented by Banditrazos Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2019, Amsterdam International Art Fair, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2014, Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne, Australia

PUBLIC & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Colección Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, Madrid, Spain
Private collections in Australia, America, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Spain, Korea, Taiwan

RESIDENCIES

2026, Sestriere Santa Croce Residency, Venice, Italy
2023, El Nucleo Residency, Segovia, Spain