Sam Bowker

Biography

Dr Sam Bowker is a Lecturer in Art History and Visual Culture. Prior to joining CSU, he worked for the National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of Australia, and lectured in Art Theory for the Australian National University's School of Art. Sam's PhD thesis, "Their War and Mine", examined the implications of the use of self-portraiture by war artists, focusing on the collection of the Australian War Memorial. His previous thesis studied the biographic myths promoted by travelling artists in the nineteenth century. His current major research project is an art historical survey of Khayamiyya, or Egyptian Tentmaker Applique, from the late Ottoman Empire to the present. This has resulted in exhibitions around Australia and for the Islamic Art Museum Malaysia, which hosts an annual scholars-in-residence program for CSU students.

Research Interest

Portraiture and self-portraiture