Jessie Ngaio (MFA)
Visual artist, Designer, Performer, Clown
Jessie Ngaio’s life story is one of not fitting in. Growing up queer in small town Aotearoa, New Zealand, she left school early due to what she now knows was undiagnosed autism and ADHD. For years, Jessie has worked in the adult industry along with pursuing her passion for creative expression through training in the visual arts, clown, improvisational movement and Butoh. Along with exhibiting paintings and soft sculptures, she co-wrote and starred in the musical theatre production, Slutmonster and Friends (2013) surrealist comedy web series, “Trying My Best” (2017) and performed in the ensemble productions “Colour-Fool”, “Odd Hours” and “Out of Order” as part of “ButohOut!” Festival, 2021 and 2023. In 2022, Jessie was accepted as a participant in the Midsumma Pathways program, a nine month mentorship and workshop series for LGBTQIA+ artists with a disability and is currently being mentored by performance artist, Emma Maye Gibson, otherwise known as Betty Grumble. Her first solo performance, “Oh Yuck, It’s Me” debuted on October, 2022 in The Melbourne Fringe Festival and has been nominated for two Green Room Awards – Best Production in Independent Theatre and Best Performer. In 2023 she co-starred in Stickybeak, a physical theatre production which won “Best Comedy” in the 2023 Melbourne Fringe Festival. After a long hiatus from her visual arts practice due to chronic pain, Jessie has several surgeries which have allowed her to return to her first love; making things with her hands and she is slowly developing her visual art alongside her performing art practice.
Visual Artist
Visual Arts Education
- 2007 – Masters in Fine Art RMIT University, Naarm/Melbourne, Australia
- 2006 – Advanced Diploma in Art and DesignWaiariki Institute of TechnologyRotorua, Aotearoa/New Zealand
- 2005 – Diploma in Art and Design Waiariki Institute of TechnologyRotorua, Aotearoa/New Zealand
Current Education
- 2023 – Classical Art at Melbourne Art Academy
- 2022-23 – Midsumma Pathways Program
Mentoring by Emma Maye Gibson (AKA Betty Grumble) Melbourne Australia
- 2023 – Permaculture Design at Ceres Melbourne
Exhibition Experience
- 2023 – The Cure Guerilla Gallery
Group Exhibition, Preston
- 2023 – Mixed Media Me’s
Group Exhibition, The Art Room, Footscray
- 2022 – Magic Spells
Solo show at The Fitzroy Art Collective, Fitzroy
- 2022 – The Fitzroy Art Collective Birthday Group Show The Fitzroy Art Collective, Fitzroy
- 2020 – Eco Anxieties
Solo exhibition at Longspace, Newport
- 2017 – Arty Party
A series of several one night exhibitions and performance events, Coburg
- 2015 – Feck Art Exhibition
Group exhibition at FECK:ART, East Brunswick
- 2014 – Feck Art Exhibition
Group exhibition at FECK:ART, East Brunswick
- 2012 – Little Bits
Solo exhibition at Cafe Lua, Carlton
- 2012 – Extraterrestrial Diorama
Installation at Waiariki Institute of Technology, New Zealand
- 2011 – Dumb Arts
Group exhibition curated by Jessie, Saint One20 Arts, Northcote
- 2010 – Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Group exhibition, Hogan Gallery, Collingwood
- 2010 – Owl in the Spotlight
Group Exhibition at LaMama Theatre, Melbourne
- 2010 – Alice in Wonderland
Group exhibition at Saint One20 Arts, Northcote
- 2009 – Saint One20 Arts Show
Group exhibition at Saint One20 Arts, Northcote
- 2009 – Cold Salt Skin
Solo show at Brunswick St Gallery
- 2008 – Tales and Oddities
Group show curated by Jessie, Per Square Metre, Collingwood
- 2008 – Totems, Dolls With Souls
Group show, Federation Square
- 2008 – Once Upon a Time
Group show at Off the Kerb, Collingwood
- 2007 – A Minor Collection of Unnatural History
Group show at Off the Kerb, Collingwood
- 2007 – RMIT MFA Graduand Exhibition
Group show at RMIT, Melbourne
- 2006 – Mazda Emerging Artists Exhibition
Auckland, New Zealand
- 2006 – Paintings
Solo exhibition. Toi Te Aranga, Rotorua, New Zealand
- 2006 – Here Are Our Monsters
Exhibition as part of Waiariki Graduate Exhibition, The Sum of Us. Hei Tiki Gallery, Rotorua, New Zealand
- 2005 – Totems, Solo exhibition at Toi Te Aranga Gallery, Rotorua, New Zealand
- 2005 – Abstract Expressionism
Group exhibition at the Rotorua Museum Cafe, Rotorua, New Zealand
- 2004 – Ether/Or
Solo exhibition at the Rotorua Museum Cafe, Rotorua, New Zealand
Performance
Performing Art Education
2023
- Psychopathology Dell’arte
Nov 6th – 10th 2023
Giovanni Fusetti, Naarm/Melbourne Australia
2022
- The Spirit of Commedia Dell’arte
5-9 Dec
Giovanni Fusetti, Naarm/Melbourne Australia
- The Journey of The Neutral Mask In Nature
28 Nov – 2 Dec
Giovanni Fusetti, Naarm/Melbourne Australia
- Improv Theatre Movement
13 Jul – 7 Sep (Wed nights)
Nick Papas, Naarm/Melbourne Australia
- ButohOUT! Twisted – The Art of The Twist
18-20 March
Yumi Umuimare, Naarm/Melbourne
2021
- OnLine Butoh Unlocking our Inner Beast
Aug-Sep
Yumi Umiumare
- ButohOUT! 2021 New Ab/Normal Weekend Workshop
23-25 Apr
Yumi Umiumare
- Butoh Weekend Intensive
19-21 Mar
Yumi Umiumare
Melbourne/Naarm
- Online Clown Playground Level Three
13, 20, 27 Jan, 3, 10 Feb
Pedro Fabiao
2020
- Online Clown Playground Level Two
16, 23, 25, 30 Sep, 2 Oct
Pedro Fabiao
- Online Clown Playground
2, 9, 16, 21, 23 Jul
Pedro Fabiao
- Online Clown Playground
29 May, 5,12,19, 26 Jun
Pedro Fabiao
- Primal Colour – Creating Your Own Ritual
18 Sep – 6 Oct
Yumi Umiumare
- Pivot Programme – Butoh Online Workshops
Mar-Sep
Yumi Umiumare
- Weekly Intensive Butoh Workshop – Creating Butoh
4 Mar – 1 Apr
Yumi Umiumare, Naarm/Melbourne Australia
- Weekly Intensive Butoh Workshop – Essence of Butoh
18 Feb – 24 Mar
Yumi Umiumare, Naarm/Melbourne Australia
- The Pedagogy of Bouffons
A Seminar on the Pedagogy of Bouffons and Grotesque Theater
3-7 Feb
Giovanni Fusetti, Naarm/Melbourn Australia
2019
- Butoh Residential Workshop
6-9 Dec
Yumi Umiumare
Daylesford, VIC, Australia
- Butoh Caberet Workshop
12 Oct
Yumi Umiumare
Melbourne/Naarm
- Theatre as Medicine
Performance Making With Betty Grumble
September 28-19
Melbourne/Naarm Butoh Weekend Workshop
- 13-14 Jul
Yumi Umiumare, Naarm/Melbourn Australia
- A Weekend of Clown with Pedro Fabiao
23 – 24 Feb
Melbourne/Naarm, Australia
- Bouffons Intensive
The Ecstasy of Mocking
7 – 19 Jan
Giovanni Fusetti, Naarm/Melbourne Australia
2018
- Red Nose Intensive
29 Oct – 23 Nov
Theater Clown and the essence of Physical Comedy
Giovanni Fusetti, Naarm/Melbourn Australia
- HOO-HAAcademy, Level 2, Hoo-Harder
2 May – 13 Jun
6 Wednesday night classes in improvised comedy
The Big Hoo-Haa, Naarm/Melbourne, Australia
2017
- Clown & Physical Comedy Intensive
26-28 Jun
Clare Bartholomew, Naarm/Melbourn Australia
- HOO-HAAcademy Level 1
31 Jan – 14 Mar
6 Wednesday night classes in improvised comedy
The Big Hoo-Haa, Naarm/Melbourne, Australia
Performance History
2023 – Butoh Bar Out Of Order
Butoh Out! Festival, Abbotsford Convent
2023 – Stickybeak
Melbourne Fringe Festival
Trades Hall
Winner of “Best Comedy”
2023 – Midsummica
Variety Show
La Mama Theatre
2022 – Oh Yuck, It’s Me
Solo show, Melbourne Fringe Festival
The Butterfly Club
Nominated for two Green Room Awards “Best Production” and “Best Performer”
2021 – Colour Fool
Butoh Out! Festival, Abbotsford Convent
Nominated for two Green Room Awards
2021 – Odd Hours
Butoh Out! Festival, Dancehouse
Nominated for two Green Room Awards
2019 – Bouffon Student Showcase
Drill Hall, Footscray
2018 – Red Nose Intensive Student Showcase
Abbotsford Convent
2016 – Trying My Best
Webseries
Nominated, Best of Spotlight, Melbourne WebFest
2014 – Love Hard
Documentary
Feminist Porn Award Winner 2015
2013 – That Sexy Show
Performed as Team Captain
Hares & Hyenas
2013 – Slutmonster and Friends
North Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Nominated for the Golden Gibbo award
2012 – Slutmonster and Friends
Melbourne Fringe Festival
Club Voltaire
Awarded “Highly Commended in Comedy”
Publications, Radio, Interviews and Reviews
2022 – Praise Dionysus! podcast, reviewing Oh Yuck, It’s Me
2022 – Jessie Ngaio Destroys Comedy, Podcast appearance
2020 – Arts, activism and audio: The ArtsHubbub episode two, Artshub
2020 – Meet the Artist, Red Magazine
2019 – Ethical Porn and Submission, Archer Magazine
2013 – Slutmonster and Friends review, The Age
2013 – Slutmonster and Friends review, Crikey
2012 – Artists, just be you, says expat, article in The Daily Post
