Elizabeth Hoak-Doering is an interdisciplinary visual artist and writer exploring ancient and modern graffiti, often transforming her field documentation into research-based visual art. She is recognized for her kinetic art installations and experimental drawing practice across diverse media. Her recent PhD in Classical Archaeology began with artistic research on modern graffiti she found and documented in a former Stasi prison in Berlin. With a background in cultural anthropology, she brings an informed, cross-disciplinary approach to both her creative and academic work. Hoak-Doering has exhibited internationally, and her artwork is included in prominent public and private art collections.
degrees
May 2025 PhD Classical Archaeology
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, DE viva summa, thesis magna
Intentions Through Hands and Time: An analytical methodology for nonsymbolic lines in graffiti
1997 MFA Sculpture, Boston University, Boston MA USA
1991 MA ed. University of the Arts, Philadelphia PA USA
1988 BA Anthropology cum laude Amherst College, MA USA
honors
2011 54th Venice Biennale of Art, National Representation of the Republic of Cyprus
2005 and 2003 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship Special Opportunity Stipend
1997-1998 United States Fulbright Research Scholarship in Cyprus – Sculpture
1996-97 Dean’s Scholar, School for the Arts, Boston University, USA
residencies - other programmes
2025 Borderlands Residencies Program, at the Atelierhaus Eupen, BE
2021-2023 Graffiti Art in Prison project of Erasmus+ affiliated with the Max Planck Institut.
2022 Artists-in-Residence Programme Lichtenberg Studios, Berlin
2016-2017 Internationales Atelierprogramm Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin
2012 International Artist in Residency, University of Wollongong, NSW Australia
2011 STEIM – Instrument Lab, Residency and Collaboration, Amsterdam
2005 Summer Fellow, Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict, University of Pennsylvania
2002-2004 Artist in Residence at The Philadelphia Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA USA
2001 Artist Residency, The Monagri Centre for Contemporary Art, Limassol, Cyprus
1992 Summer Residency, The Vermont Studio Center, VT USA
collections
The Estate of Harper Lee
The Cecil H. Green Library of Stanford University
European Central Bank, Frankfurt
State Gallery of Contemporary Cypriot Art, Nicosia
Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten Marl, Germany
University of Wollongong Museum, NSW Australia
Mead Museum, Amherst College, USA
The University of Pennsylvania (public commission)
Collection of the Gyumri Biennale, Armenia
Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania (public commission)
writings about - exhibition catalogues
2020 Made in Marl – Kunst für das Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten Marl texts by multiple authors, edited by Georg Elben. Wienand Verlag, 208 pp., illustrations. (DE/EN)
2017 Contemporary Art from Cyprus, the European Central Bank in cooperation with the Central Bank of Cyprus
2017 Oniritti, Elizabeth Hoak-Doering at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, text by Prof. Dr. Knut Ebeling, artist book designed by Elizabeth Hoak-Doering, 14 pages
2017 “Wall to Paper: Retracing the Gestures of Inscriptions” by Taco Hidde Bakker in Be24 Magazine of Künstlerhaus Bethanien, cit. pp. 150-157 with illustrations
2017 When Words Enter the Picture, by Marina Kassianidou: Interview, cit. pp. 52-55
2016 ΠΛΑΝΗΤΕΣ (Planetes), exhibition catalogue for Pafos2017 essay by Elena Stylianou, cit. pp. 38-39
2015 Our Land / Alien Territory Triumph Gallery, Moscow Department of Culture and the Department of Research Arts, Moscow, pp. 226, catalogue with curatorial text (RUS/EN) and illustrations
2013 Drawingpapers #116 intuitionists, The Drawing Center New York, exhibition catalogue 108 pages, cit. p. 59
2012 Terra Mediterranea–In Crisis, The Nicosia Municipal Art Centre (NiMAC), 302 pages, with text (GR/EN)
2011 Temporal Taxonomy (essays by Yiannis Toumazis, Liz Wells, Marcia Brennan). Catalogue for the Cyprus Pavilion at the 54th International Venice Biennale of Art. Published by the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture, 140 pages, with text (GR/EN)
2010 Suspended Spaces Collective, Suspended Spaces, Blackjack Éditions, France. (FR/EN) in separate volumes, 327 pages
2000 Church of Memory exhibition catalogue, text by Ossian Ward, poem by Stephanos Stephanides, The Monagri Foundation (EN/GR) illustrated, 30 pages
selected reviews
“SEPARATISM SOUVENIRS GO ON DISPLAY AT MOSCOW EXHIBITION” on
Ukraine Today, 17 September 2015
“DISPUTED TERRITORIES, UNCERTAIN POSITIONS” by Sergey Guskov in
Metropolis M, 7 October 2015 (Russian)
‘Four Summer Shows’ in Frieze Magazine
issue 158, October 2013
‘Ο καλλιτέχνης κάνει την άμμο μαργαριτάρια ELIZABETH HOAK-DOERING: Στο ατελιέ…’ interview by Elena Parpa O Φιλελεύθερος, CY Spring 2011
‘Ο καλλιτέχνης τολμά να αντικρίσει τον εαυτό του’ by Eleni Xenou Ο Φιλελεύθερος, CY 13 February 2011
‘Οι εκλεκτές της Μπιενάλε’ ΠΟΛΙΤΗΣ, CY 11 February 2011
‘Πολυεπίπεδες εικαστικές αναζητήσεις’ by Marina Schiza Ο Φιλελεύθερος , CY 11 February 2011-10-1
‘Repubblica di Cipro, Elizabeth Hoak-Doering by Andrea Zappa L’Uomo VOGUE’ no. 421, Mag/Giu 2011
“Seyler, taniklar” by Oya Akin Yeni Duzen 4 July, 2009
“Η Απολαυστική Ζωή της Elizabeth Hoak-Doering” by Marios Dimitriou Η Σημερινή, CY March 4, 2007
Pennsylvania Gazette, “Tribute to Joe Burk”, Summer 2005
“Sculpture of Rowing Legend Will Be Affixed To Penn Boathouse” by Peter Van Allen.
Philadelphia Business Journal. 6th May issue 2006
“The Gyumri Biennial”. Gazet’art Magazine of South East European Contemporary Art Network, in Springerlein December 2002
“Observing September 11”. Faith and Form Journal of the Interfaith Forum on Religion,
Art and Architecture. Vol. XXXV No. 3, 2002
“Elizabeth Hoak-Doering Interview by Robin Rice.”
City Paper, Philadelphia, 5/9 -16, 2002
“The Sacred Place of Memory.” by E. Parpa, Phileleftheros (CY) 8 July 2001
selected academic positions
1999 University of the Arts, Foundations Department, Philadelphia PA USA. Adjunct Lecturer 3-Dimensional Design
2000-2006 University of Pennsylvania, School of Design, Philadelphia PA USA. Lecturer in Sculpture, Sculpture of the Human Figure, 3-Dimensional Design
2007-2017 University of Nicosia, Department of Design and Multimedia, Nicosia, Cyprus. Associate Professor of Art, Drawing, Life Study, Sculpture