About
Kate McCarthy Ficai is an emerging artist, mother and screen educator born in Tarndanya (Adelaide) and now based in Naarm (Melbourne). Following her Bachelor of Media, Cinema and Television (RMIT), Kate enjoyed a fifteen-year career in film, television and documentary. She now works at ACMI, the national museum for screen culture as a screen educator where she has developed a passion for immersive media, digital art and interactive technology.
Kate recently attained her Diploma of Visual Art at Northern College of Art and Technology. Kate is developing her range of skills across various contemporary and traditional methods and modalities. She has exhibited her artwork locally and screen work internationally. The Australian Wily Women's Contemporary Birthday Cake Book is also sold through the ACMI bookstore.
Kate's narrative-driven work explores themes of family history, memorialisation, identity, and the concept of home. With a background in film and television, Kate brings a cinematic quality to her visual storytelling, while her love for documentary and illustration is evident in her thoughtful portrayal of people, culture, and the world around her.
Her versatile practice spans a wide range of mediums and techniques, from cutting-edge digital approaches—such as animation, sound design, digital design, and generative AI—to traditional methods like drawing, embroidery, mixed media collage, painting, and printmaking.
A lover of Junk Art, Kate often incorporates found objects into her work, infusing them with new meaning by highlighting their textures and histories. She skillfully merges old and new technologies, blending AI and digital elements with domestic arts like cake decoration and embroidery, transforming past traditions into future visions.
Her installations sometimes include audiovisual components that heighten viewer engagement, offering immersive experiences that invite deeper exploration of the personal and cultural narratives she weaves into her art.
Kate recently attained her Diploma of Visual Art at Northern College of Art and Technology. Kate is developing her range of skills across various contemporary and traditional methods and modalities. She has exhibited her artwork locally and screen work internationally. The Australian Wily Women's Contemporary Birthday Cake Book is also sold through the ACMI bookstore.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Kate's narrative-driven work explores themes of family history, memorialisation, identity, and the concept of home. With a background in film and television, Kate brings a cinematic quality to her visual storytelling, while her love for documentary and illustration is evident in her thoughtful portrayal of people, culture, and the world around her.
Her versatile practice spans a wide range of mediums and techniques, from cutting-edge digital approaches—such as animation, sound design, digital design, and generative AI—to traditional methods like drawing, embroidery, mixed media collage, painting, and printmaking.
A lover of Junk Art, Kate often incorporates found objects into her work, infusing them with new meaning by highlighting their textures and histories. She skillfully merges old and new technologies, blending AI and digital elements with domestic arts like cake decoration and embroidery, transforming past traditions into future visions.
Her installations sometimes include audiovisual components that heighten viewer engagement, offering immersive experiences that invite deeper exploration of the personal and cultural narratives she weaves into her art.
