Dr Gail Kenning is and artist, researcher and educator. She is Research Associate at University of Technology Sydney in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and IT and Faculty of Design Architecture adn building, and Co Investigator International on a UK AHRC funded research project—LAUGH: Ludic Artefacts Using gesture and Haptics— making objects and activities for people with late stage dementia. Her research is concerned with art and creativity in relation to digital media, craft, expanded textiles, health, wellbeing, ageing and dementia.

Gail is the recipient of funding for work related to craft and wellbeing; for the evaluation of arts programs for people with dementia; and projects exploring participatory design approaches working with and for people with dementia. She is a member of international collaborative research projects including Materialising Memories Research Program (UTS and University of Technology Eindhoven) and HANDS: Helping Assist With New Devices for Seniors, in Collaboration with Dr Cathy Treadaway, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales.

Gail is a Design Unnited Research Fellow at University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands where she researches in relation to implicit memory, ageing and dementia.

Gail works at the intersection of art, craft, design and technology. Her artistic practice spans sculptural installation, photography and video, programmed animations and data visualization. She has exhibited and screened works internationally and nationally at public galleries, private galleries and artist run initiatives.

Gail was awarded a PhD Art theory from University of New South Wales (UNSW 2009) for her work exploring evolutionary patterns and code in relation to craft-based textile forms. She is published in journals such as Media International Australia and Leonardo, has presented at conferences nationally and internationally including the International Symposium of Electronic Arts (ISEA) in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 is an invited speaker, including at Hangzhou, Academy of Arts, China.

Alongside her art practice has worked in research and data visualization in industry for over ten years, and was director of a computer aided research and media analysis company developing acclaimed commercially available software products. She consults to companies on the development of systems to enable effective data visualization. Gail’s research in relation to digital and social media includes E-electioneering, 2007, 2010 and 2013 exploring the use of social media in Australian elections.