After Studying Fine Art in Melbourne, in 1984 Janette Lucas moved to the Northern Territory —residing in Maningrida, Batchelor and later Darwin. In 1998 she was invited to work in Yogyakarta Indonesia, culminating in a solo exhibition at Ardiyanto Galeri, following with shows in Darwin, Sydney and country Victoria..
Between trips to Europe and Indonesia, she taught art on remote Aboriginal communities, lectured in drawing at the Northern Territory University (now Charles Darwin University) and lectured at Batchelor College Rum Jungle.
Lucas is a Foundation benefactor to MAGNT (Museum & Art Galleries of the Northern Territory), a benefactor to the National Gallery of Australia, and TAMA - Textile Art Museum of Australia.
She has worked on public art projects for Catholic Education Office Darwin & East Grampians Health Service Victoria. Over the last 2 decades she has produced exhibition catalogues and curated several art exhibitions while holding regular exhibitions of her own work.
The subject matter in her paintings includes chairs, cages, nets, interiors and architecture. A continuous thread throughout her paintings & drawings is the dominant use of line and bold colour, with her hallmark striped deck-chair canvas frequently making an appearance.
She currently resides in rural Victoria in a rambling former pub which serves as studio, a framing workshop and art gallery.
Representation in Public Collections:
Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory (MAGNT).
Parliament House Portraits Collection, Darwin, Northern Territory.
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, Darwin. Government House Darwin Northern Territory. Government House Foundation Collection, Darwin NT.
Australian Defense Force, Palmerston, Northern Territory.