Helen Kwok is a multimedia artist and designer who specialises in creating playful installations, experimental games, and public art activations.
Her creative practice often involves blending the digital and physical, crafting work that playfully extends beyond the screen. Helen is a first generation Hong Kong immigrant currently based in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia).
Since 2020, Helen has worked with National Gallery of Victoria, City of Melbourne, Merri-bek City Council, Bunjil Place, Moomba Festival, City of Greater Geelong, Perth Theatre Trust, MPavilion, Melbourne Recital Centre, State Library Victoria, and various city councils and arts organisations on projects that encourage families, kids, and adults to play in social and public spaces. In 2021, Helen was selected as one of four emerging artists nationwide (and the only Victorian artist) to participate in NAVA’s inaugural collaborative mentorship program, and one of twelve artists to participate in Footscray Community Arts’ Emerging Creative Leaders 2021-22 program to learn more about the community arts sector.
Helen has spoken and showcased her work at festivals, conferences, and events both locally and internationally, including at IndieCade (Los Angeles, USA), Now Play This (London, UK), A MAZE. (Berlin, Germany), Game Arts International Assembly (Montreal, Canada), The Overkill Festival (Enschede, Netherlands), and Freeplay Independent Games Festival (Melbourne, Australia). She was named a Freeplay Awards finalist in 2020, 2021, and 2024, and graduated from the Master of Animation, Games and Interactivity degree (with High Distinction) from RMIT University. Throughout the two years of her Masters degree, Helen engaged in practice-based creative research for her studio projects, working at the intersection of art, design, games, and play. Since 2023, Helen has been casually teaching into RMIT’s Bachelor of Design (Games) program.
Artist Talks & Panels
2024 – The Overkill Festival (Enschede)
2024 – Feminine Play Panel, St Kilda Town Hall (Melbourne)
2024 – Freeplay Independent Games Festival, ACMI (Melbourne)
2023 – RMIT Games Talks 2023, RMIT University (Melbourne)
2023 – Now Play This 2023 (London)
2022 – A MAZE. Fest 2022 (Berlin)
2022 – Indie Games: Video Games as Art, Wheeler Centre (Melbourne)
2021 – Master of Animation, Games and Interactivity Guest Lecture, RMIT University (Melbourne)
2021 – Beyond Screens: Alternative Controllers, IndieCade (Los Angeles)
2021 – Game Arts International Assembly (Montreal)
2020 – Freeplay Parallels, Melbourne International Games Week (Melbourne)
2020 – Master of Animation, Games and Interactivity Guest Lecture, RMIT University (Melbourne)
2020 – A MAZE. Fest 2020 (Berlin)
2020 – Freeplay Independent Games Festival (Melbourne)
Commissions & Presentations
2024 – Transient Threads – MPavilion Parkville (Melbourne)
2024 – Rainbow Paths: Music Edition – Melbourne Recital Centre (Melbourne)
2023 – Rainbow Paths: Love Edition – Now Play This Festival, Somerset House (London)
2022 – Rainbow Paths: Dinosaur Edition – Perth Cultural Centre (Perth)
2022 – Musical Monoliths – Melbourne Knowledge Week, State Library Victoria (Melbourne)
2022 – Rainbow Paths: Library Edition – Elizabeth St Pop-Up Library (Melbourne)
2021 – Rainbow Paths – State Library Victoria (Melbourne)
2021 – Street Tape Games – JUMP Festival (London)
2021 – Street Tape Games – Freeplay Independent Games Festival (Melbourne)
2021 – Street Tape Games – Fawkner Festa (Melbourne)
2021 – Rainbow Paths – Mind the Gap Party, Assemble Papers (Melbourne)
2021 – Rainbow Laneway – Moomba Festival 2.0 (Melbourne)
2021 – Rainbow Bird Playground – Bunjil Place (Melbourne)
2020 – Street Tape Games (Playtesting) – Siteworks (Melbourne)
Showcases & Exhibitions
2025 – Now Play This Festival 2025 (Online)
2024 – Feminine Play – Carlisle Street Arts Space, St Kilda Town Hall (Melbourne)
2023 – Up, Down and All Around – National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
2023 – Swarming: Melbourne Now – National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
2022 – Making Art – National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
2022 – Play in the Pandemic – Young V&A (Online)
2021 – The Gecko and the Mermaid – National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
2020-2021 – Connexions Videogames Exhibition (Strasbourg, France)
2020 – MAGI EXPO 2020 (Online)
2020 – Community Play Party: 10th Melbourne Global Game Jam (Melbourne)
2019 – MAGI EXPO 2019 (Melbourne)
2016 – AWARD School Showcase (Perth)
2015 – Make a Noise! Student Showcase (Perth)
Funding, Grants & Programs
2025 – Quick Response Grant, City of Melbourne
2023 – Arts Projects (Individuals & Groups), Australia Council for the Arts
2022 – Sustaining Creative Workers Initiative, Creative Victoria
2022 – Annual Arts Grants, City of Melbourne
2021-2022 – Emerging Creative Leaders, Footscray Community Arts
2021 – Alchemy, State Library Victoria
2021 – Collaborative Mentorship Initiative Program, NAVA
2021 – Annual Arts Grants, City of Melbourne
2020-2021 – Festivals Moreland Development Program, Moreland City Council
2020 – Test Sites Online 2020, City of Melbourne
Workshops
2023 – Invent Your Own Game Controller – SIGNAL
2023 – New Games Workshop – City of Greater Geelong
2023 – New Games Workshop – MPavilion
2023 – Signal Play – SIGNAL
2022 – Make-a-Thing Jam – Alt-Shift-Play Exhibition
2022 – Make, Tinker, Play! Workshop Series – City of Melbourne Libraries
2022 – New Games Workshop – Footscray Community Arts
Awards
2024 – Finalist (Best Non-Digital Game Award), Freeplay Independent Games Festival
2024 – Finalist (Best Experimental Game Award), Freeplay Independent Games Festival
2021 – Finalist (Best Experimental Game Award), Freeplay Independent Games Festival
2020 – Vice-Chancellor’s List for Academic Excellence, RMIT University
2020 – Best Pitch Prize, Creative Urban Places Team, City of Melbourne
2020 – Finalist (Best Student Game Award), Freeplay Independent Games Festival
2018 – Finalist (Diamond Club Online Achievement Award), Western Australian Young Achiever Awards
2017 – Gold (Best Induction/Onboarding Project), LearnX Impact Awards
2016 – 3rd in WA, AWARD School
2015 – Top 15 Shortlist, Graphic Design Award by Yamaha