
Contact Information
Philadelphia, PA
Please contact artist for purchases, commissions, etc.
Drawing/Painting
Landscapes
Cityscapes
Archived Work
Artist's Biography
Donna Backues has a BA in Studio Art and Graphic Design from Southern Illinois University and an MFA from The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She is currently working toward an MA in Urban Studies & Community Arts, from Eastern University.
After finishing her undergraduate degree in 1985, Donna worked as a graphic designer for several years. In 1989, she moved to Indonesia and lived for 18 years raising two children and working alongside her husband in a grass roots development organization. For the first couple of years, Donna invested time in language and culture learning as well as devoting time to painting, drawing, and learning the Javanese technique of batik at a small home industry near her home.
During her last 10 years in Southeast Asia, she founded a village community health program and a community arts program. Her interest in indigenous art forms led to her starting a handicraft non-profit supporting local artisans in West Java, as well as designing batik textiles and woven products for export. She also created illustrations, manuals, and teaching aids for development projects, including materials used in relief efforts during the aftermath of the 2004 Asian Tsunami.
Besides having worked as a teaching artist at the Village of Arts and Humanities and the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia, she has been awarded numerous residencies through the Philadelphia Art Museum’s Delphi Art Futures program and Art Partners program and Spiral Q Puppet Theater. In 2013 Donna won first prize in the American Batik Design Competition and in 2014 she was awarded the Art & Change Grant by the Leeway foundation. Besides painting in her studio, Donna teaches, conducts workshops and works at SEAMAAC as an outreach worker for the Indonesian community in South Philadelphia. Four of her paintings are in the Philadelphia Convention Center’s permanent collection. Her murals can be seen in Philadelphia, Camden, NJ and in Leeds, England, and her paintings have been collected and exhibited internationally in Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Artist's Statement
My landscapes, aerialscapes and cityscapes are imagined landscapes of memory, thoughts and feelings inspired by real places or events. I attempt to create subtly dark and broody undercurrents beneath myriads of deliberately drawn marks on the surface.
Selected Exhibitions
Solo
2017
Imagined Landscapes, Pennswood Gallery, Newtown, PA
2008
Recollections & Hope, McInnis Gallery, Eastern University, St. David’s, PA
2007
Monotypes, Redpoint Gallery, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
1995
Watercolors, Galeri Bandung, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
1994
Watercolors, Centre Culturel Francais, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Group
2016
Two Philly Artists, The Monkey & the Elephant, Philadelphia, PA
2015
Holiday Show, Center for Emerging Visual Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2014
Dear Fleisher, 4x6 Inches of Art, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA
American Batik Design Exhibit, Alleira Batik, Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta
Group Mural Artists, The Hall, Inliquid at Crane Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Artists, Gallery of the Chambers of Commerce, Philadelphia, PA
2013
American Batik Design Exhibit, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington D.C.
Score & Slip, Marguerita Hagan & Pierre Trombert Studios, Philadelphia, PA
Backpack Gallery Installation, 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA
2010
Inaugural Exhbition, Studio: Christensen, Philadelphia, PA
Selections from the 109th Annual Student Exhibit, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Women’s Board, Philadelphia, PA
MFA Thesis Exhibition, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2001
The Figure Drawn, Leeds Central Library Gallery, Leeds, England
2000
Pelukis Dari Bandung, Galeri Bandung, W. Java, Indonesia
1999
Tasikmalaya Artist Group, Gedung Kesenian, Tasikmalaya, W. Java, Indonesia
1998
Tasikmalaya Artist Group, Surya Hotel, Pangandaran, W. Java, Indonesia
1984
Selected Works, Southern Illinois University Gallery, Edwardsville, IL
Artist's Bibliography
2015
Chenevert, Bill, "East Passyunk Crossing gets artsy," South Philly Review, March 5, 2015
Interviewed by Kartini Magazine, Jakarta, Indonesia
2014
Iman, Dhania, "Donna Backues Membatik," Voice of America Indonesia, Washington D.C., November 10, 2015
2014
"Seniman Amerika Ini Lestarikan Batik d Negaranya," National Geographic Indonesia, December 9, 2014
2013
"American Artist, Student, and Professor Win Batik Design Competition," The Jakarta Post World News, October 31,2013
2007
"Interview & Demonstration of Water based Monotype Technique with commentary by artist Suhardi Soedarsono" Padjadjaran Television, Bandung, January 21, 2007
Collections
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA
Galeri Bandung, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Redpoint Studio Gallery in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Dolan/Maxwell Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Indonesian Embassy, Washington, DC
Education
2018
Eastern University, St. Davids, PA
(Pending) MA, Urban Studies in Community Arts
2010
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
MFA
1985
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL
BA, Graphic Design
Recent Artist Member Mentions on InLiquid
-
“FAME 2017” at the PAFA Alumni Gallery, Historic Landmark Building
The Fellowship Annual Members Exhibition Congratulations to our 2017 FAME Exhibition ARTISTS! The awarded artists: The Fellowship Award of Excellence, Robert Ecker; The Berthe … See Full Post
-
Donna Backues: Mixed Media @ Pennswood Art Gallery
Mixed Media Featuring work by InLiquid Artist Donna Backues Pennswood Art Gallery 382 Newtown Langhorne Rd, Newtown, PA About her … See Full Post
-
InLiquid Artist Demonstration Saturdays @ Blick Art Materials
11/5 – Christopher T. Wood presenting Daydrawing 11/12 – Donna Backues presenting Mixed Watermedia abstraction 11/19 – Jeremy Sims presenting … See Full Post
-
Group Mural Show @ The Hall
Group Mural Show, featuring: Donna Backues, Joe Brenman, Delia King, Shira Walinsky May 8 – July 5, 2014 Second Thursday … See Full Post