蔡金娜 Artist | PhD | Re(searcher)
Gina Choy (b.1978) is an academically trained Australian artist based on the Sunshine Coast.
She majored in painting during her Bachelor of Fine Art at Griffith University (1999). In 2010, during her honours year at the University of Queensland, she was awarded the Confucius Institute Research Scholarship (CIS) and invited to Tianjin University, China, as a representative of the School of Communication and Arts. There, she deepened her practical and theoretical knowledge of traditional Chinese painting under the direct mentorship of Professor Dong Ya, Head of the School of Art and Architecture.
Choy’s work is intimately shaped by her sustained engagement with Eastern, particularly Chinese, philosophy and practice. Drawing from a life intertwined with cross-cultural experience—including a Chinese-Australian family—her work embodies the lived dialogue between traditions, where history, spirituality, and nature converge. Her scholarly research and creative practice are intimately informed and enriched by this transcultural perspective and her lived experience of this entanglement.
Her commitment to cultural dialogue is reflected in international residencies at prestigious sites such as Toa-Bou Studio in Nakaoyama, Japan (2013); Kouraku Gama, Arita, Japan (2013); Sanboa Ceramic Institute (2013); and The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China (2013). Choy holds the honour of having her work included in a century-ceiling installation at a Buddhist temple in Hasami, Japan (2014).
Driven by a passion for wisdom and insight, Choy has reached significant professional milestones. She is a former lecturer and program writer in Art and Design at the University of Canberra, and a twice-published author (under her maiden name, Georgina Hooper). Awarded First Class Honours in Art and Design from the University of Canberra (2017), she is now in the final stages of completing a PhD in art and neuroscience at the University of Queensland.
Scholarly research in art and neuroscience deeply informs Choy’s creative practice. She weaves ancient wisdom and cutting-edge technologies—bridging science, art, and medicine—to explore the human, technological, and metaphysical dimensions of existence. Over the past five years, her work has engaged emergent fields such as AI, blockchain, and augmented reality, pushing the boundaries of creative possibility.
Choy’s work has been exhibited globally across traditional and digital art exhibitions, including major events such as NFT Liverpool, NFTNYC, Obscura NFT Bali, and Bloom x MakersPlace NFC Lisbon. Her work was curated into A2 Accelerate Art Homage in Romania; Exquisite Workers x Superchief AI Surrealism in New York City; Museum Week - Réconciliation with the Living in Lisbon; Fusion of Oneness Piuda Art Space in Seoul; and SPACES II: Capturing the Ephemera with Phillips in Hong Kong. Her work lit up 1,000 billboards across Belgium through a collaboration with ArtVerse and illuminated 11 x 8m digital screens in Beijing thanks to Neal and Ninfa Gallery. Choy’s most recent solo exhibition was held in SoHo, New York.
Her work is held in private collections across Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, and Asia, as well as by institutions such as the Arab Bank of Switzerland and the World of Women.
Academic Qualifications
PhD Candidate (Expected 2025) The Art and Neuroscience of Traditional Chinese Painting, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Honours in Art and Design (2017) Graduated with First Class – Chinese Landscape Painting and the Sublime, University of Canberra, Brisbane, Australia
BAEd Secondary Visual Art/History (2004) Graduated with Academic Merit, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
BA Visual Art/Fine Art Painting (1999), Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Awards & Grants
2025
FutureNow Professional Development Grant, Sunshine Coast Arts Council
2020
Research Training Program Tuition Fee Offset & Stipend, University of Queensland
2017
First Class Honours, University of Canberra
2012
Research Scholarship, Confucius Institute, University of Queensland
2004
Academic Merit, Griffith University
2004
Teaching History Fellowship, National Gallery & NCE Tourism Project
Residencies
2013
Artist in Residence, Tobo-ao Kiln, Hasami, Japan
2013
Artist in Residence, The Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen, People’s Republic of China
2013
Artist in Residence, Sanbao Ceramic Institute of Art, Jingdezhen, People’s Republic of China
Solo Exhibitions
2025, June 21-23
Time to be Happy Gallery, Infinity, SoHo, New York, USA
2018, February 15-March 15
Chung Tian Temple Gallery, Yique, Brisbane, Australia
2017, October 25-28
Onespace Gallery, Liminal Space, Brisbane, Australia
2016, September 20-October 1
Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Renga, Brisbane, Australia
2015, April 9-19
Percolator Gallery, Microcosm, Brisbane, Australia
2014, September 3-20
White Canvas Gallery, Itadakimasu, Brisbane, Australia
2014, November 13-18
Cardigan Bar, Sublime, Sandgate, Australia
Group Exhibitions
2025, March 20-April 15
Phillips and HOFA Gallery, SPACES II: Capturing the Ephemera, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
2025, January-February
ArtCrush Gallery, Platform for Art
Brushing Away the Clouds exhibited on 11,527 digital screens across Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, South Africa, Romania, Spain, Portugal, and Indonesia, curated by Arthemort (former Head of Digital Art at Sotheby’s) in collaboration with global media partners
2024, March 15-21
Piuda Art Space, Fusion of Oneness, Seoul, Korea
2024, July 16-23
Art Crush Gallery, Platform for Art, 1000 screens across Belgium
2024, February 10-19
Neal and Ninfa Gallery, Chinese New Year - Joy City, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
2023, December 5-10
Transient Labs x Makers Place, Bridging Traditional & Digital Art (Miami Art Week), Miami, USA
2023, November 9-23
Unpaired Gallery, Spice Journeys Exhibition, Zug, Switzerland
2023, June 7-8
Arroz Estùdios, Reconciliation with the Living, Lisbon, Portugal
2023, June 2-24
Superchief Gallery x Exquisite Workers, AI Surrealism (World’s Largest AI Art Exhibtion), Oculus Center, New York, USA
2023, June 1-5
Craiova Museum - Constantin Brancusi Center, Homage curated by A2 Accelerate Art), Craiova, Romania
2023, June 16
Lume Studios, Homage curated by A2 Accelerate Art, New York, USA
2023, June 7-8
Bloom x MakersPlace, AI Hackerthon, Lisbon, Portugal
2023, January 11-16
Superlative Gallery, NFT Bali Showcase curated by Obscura Dao, Bali, Indonesia
2023, April 12-14
The Artist’s Village, NFTNYC curated by Obscura Dao, New York, USA
2022, October 22-25
Quantum Space x Monolith Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2022, April 26-May 26
1stDibs, Flower Gang, curated by Anna Condo, Online
2022, April 26-28
Adelia Art Gallery & NFT Guild, NFT Liverpool - curated by Keith Grossman, Liverpool, UK 26-28 August
2018, October 10-27
Onespace Gallery, Right Now, Brisbane, Australia
2017, December 6-22
Onespace Gallery, Afterimage, Brisbane, Australia
2016, May 27-28
Mayo Arts Festival, Feature Artist, Brisbane, Australia
2015, March 27 - April 3
Blue Water Arts Festival, Feature Artist, Sandgate, Australia
2015, April 9-19
Percolator Gallery, Microcosm - Solo Exhibition, Brisbane, Australia (solo)
2014, September 3-20
White Canvas Gallery, Itadakimasu, Brisbane, Australia (solo)
2014 - 2114
Nakaoyama Buddhist Temple, Hundred Year Ceiling - Cultural Installation, Hasami, Japan
2013, September 5
4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Member’s Exhibition, Sydney, Australia
1999, November
Brisbane Institute of Art, Rush -Graduate Exhibition, Brisbane, Australia
1995, November
Rockhampton Art Gallery, Minister for Education Excellence in Art Awards, Rockhampton, Australia
Lectures & Panels
2023, December 8
Panel – “Bridging Traditional & Digital Art”, Transient Labs x Makers Place, Miami Art Basel Week
2023, May 10
Panel – “Your Digital Presence” Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
2021, November 22-23
Panel – “Celebrating 25 Years of WIP – Rites of Passage, Sojourns into creativity: Performative Panel, UQ – Chair Prof Stephen Carleton, “Self-Cultivating Techniques of Traditional Chinese Painting”, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
2020, November 22-23
Panel – “Bachelor of Visual Arts - Course Advisory Group”, University of Canberra, Brisbane, Australia
2020, November 16
Committee Member, “Visual Arts - Praxis Research Forum”, University of Canberra, Brisbane, Australia
2019, November 16
Arts & Design Honours Symposium, University of Canberra
2013
Lecture – “Featured Artist”, Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen, China
Publications
BOOKS
2021
Mindful Thoughts for Students. Quarto Group: London, 2021 (Published under maiden name, Georgina Hooper)
2020
Mindful Thoughts for Artists. Quarto Group: London, 2020 (Published under maiden name, Georgina Hooper)
JOURNAL ARTICLES
2019
“Exploring Traditional Chinese Painting and the Sublime”. The Journal of the Asia Arts Society of Australia, December 2019, Vol:28 Issue 4. (Published under maiden name, Georgina Hooper)
2014
“Fine China – New Directions for Jingdezhen”. The Journal of the Asia Arts Society of Australia, Vol 23 No.4 pp15-17 (Published under maiden name, Georgina Hooper)
REVIEWS
2015
Dong Ya, translator Chu Dong, “Review of Gina Choy’s Honours Exhibition Liminal Space” (2015). English translation | Chinese
Tertiary Teaching
University of Canberra, Faculty of Arts and Design, Brisbane
2017
Curriculum Developer – Research and Respond to Art History
2017
Semester 1: Tutor/Lecturer – Applied Techniques in 3D Forms; Research and Respond to Art History
2016
Semester 1: Tutor/Lecturer – Applied Techniques in 3D Forms
2016
Semester 2: Tutor – Introduction to Project Management; Exploration of Digital Visuals
University of Queensland, Department of Education, Brisbane
2015
Semester 1: Tutor – Learning Tools for the 21st Century
Griffith University, Department of Education, Brisbane
2015
Semester 2: Tutor – The Arts 2
Critical Review from Professor Dong Ya
Gina Choy has been embraced in China as a painter-scholar. In 2010, during her honours year at the University of Queensland, Choy was awarded the Confucius Institute Research Scholarship (CIS) and invited to Tianjin University, China, as a representative of the School of Communication and Arts. There, she deepened her practical and theoretical knowledge of traditional Chinese painting under the direct mentorship of Professor Dong Ya, Head of the School of Art and Architecture.
About the Author
Dr Dong Ya is a professor at Tianjin University’s School of Architecture, China. Dong Ya is a well-recognised artist in China, with his most recent solo exhibitions held at the Chinese National Academy of Painting in Beijing and the Ji’nan Art Museum. He is a member of the Teaching and Guiding Committee for the Chinese Department of the Ministry of Education and the associate director for the Environmental Arts Committee.