image: Greg Piper
I am having a solo show at Hadley's Orient Hotel this year.
For this exhibition I am silversmithing my own herbarium of sorts, filled with the rare, vulnerable and endangered plants of lunawanna-alonnah | Bruny Island, collecting them together and capturing them as silver sculpture. The preciousness of the material echoing the preciousness of the plants themselves.
The show opens October 5th and runs until December 5th 2023
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I was thrilled to be asked to show at this exhibition at Sturt Gallery Mittagong alongside an incredible array of metalsmiths.
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'Objects of Desire showcases contemporary metalwork including jewellery and objects from some of Australia’s most inspiring established and emerging makers. The exhibition demonstrates the depth of metalworking talent in Australia, interrogating what is it that makes an object desirable, exploring the relationship between the object and the maker, between the jewellery and the wearer, between the exquisitely hand-made, and the appreciator. Much of the work is a response to where the maker lives, to their connection to nature and the Australian landscape. It arouses our search for something beyond the mundane of every day – teasing out our aspirations, wishes and deepest desires.'
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As a continuation of our residency at Bundanon, Sarah and I have created a new suite of works which is being shown by Gallery Sally Dan Cuthbert at Sydney Contemporary.
This year it is once again staged at the fabulous Carriageworks. With 90+ leading galleries and four days of art, performances, panel discussions, talks, events, champagne and spectacle!
Sarah and I were absolutely thrilled to be awarded a residency at Bundanon, supported by a scholarship from the Dobell Art Foundation.
We spent an inspiring two weeks at the stunning property bequested by Arthur and Yvonne Boyd, immersed in the stunning landscape, walking and collecting plant specimens and working on new ways to integrate our works.
So very grateful for this amazing opportunity.
Sarah and I are continuing our collaboration and have new works showing through the wonderful Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert for Sydney Contemporary, Australasia’s Premier Art Fair
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Usually staged at Carriageworks, this year due to C-19 the fair will be online. The Fair welcomes over 90 galleries from around the world showcasing the work of over 400 leading and emerging artists from more than 12 countries.
Sydney Contemporary provides collectors, industry professionals and the art loving public access to cutting-edge art from some of the world’s most respected artists and galleries as well as the opportunity to discover new, emerging talent.
Sydney Contemporary has established itself as a must-attend art event and the perfect place to discover and collect modern and contemporary art.
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view Florilegium...continued conversations
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I have created trio of works for this special exhibition in my old homeground in South East Queensland. It's very special to be exhibiting here after twenty years and with such a wonderful array of artists.
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'Focusing on the big picture can often be overwhelming. Looking at and thinking about the micro is manageable and intimate and allows us control when so much seems out of our control. Small is also a way to acknowledge and celebrate what can often be overlooked.
By making in miniature we have the opportunity to take time out, be mindful and build our own resilience. Being able to pass work from one hand to another alludes to connection and intimacy, notions that are incongruent in a world of physical distancing. The works in this exhibition invite the audience to pause, look closely and contemplate.'
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view sanctum, refuge & shelter
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I have been chosen to be a finalist among fifty diverse artists who submitted an expression of interest to enter the York Botanic Art Prize 2021.
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'Western Australia is renowned worldwide for its incredible diversity of plant life, with some of the richest biodiversity on the planet and a large percentage of species being endemic to this land. The York Botanic Art Prize, now in its second year, was conceived to celebrate this abundance of unique flora and highlight the importance of its conservation in the face of increasing threats.
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Botanical art in Australia has undergone somewhat of a renaissance in the last 10 years; however, unlike other botanical art prizes, scientific illustrations nor necessarily representative work are required - the only limitation being that work must directly relate to the theme of Western Australian flora and make reference to specific WA species.'
Florilegium…traversing the poetry of plants, by Sarah and I, was s a finalist in the 2021 Toowoomba Contemporary Wearables Award.
This is the suite of 42 small handcrafted sculptural works inspired by the complexity and richness of native flora.
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We are absolutely thrilled to have won the 2021 award and Florilegium has been acquired in it's entirety by the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery.
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'Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award and Exhibition is the focus of Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery's contribution to promoting excellence in contemporary adornment. The award was established in 1989, with the aid of the Toowoomba Gallery Society Inc., and is a forum for experimental and innovative contemporary jewellery and object practice.'
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view Florilegium​
Delighted to have the work that Sarah and I created for Ceramix selected as a finalist in the Handcrafted category for this award.
'The Design Files + Laminex Design Awards is an awards program designed to acknowledge the designers, architects and makers who contribute to Australia’s vibrant creative community.
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This is an awards program which recognises the diverse creative fields which make up modern Australia, from small scale, handcrafted practices, to Residential Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Design.
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From established to emerging creatives, home studios to globally recognised design firms, these awards bring together the very best in Australian design and creativity.'
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view Florilegium​
A collaboration with Sarah Rayner
Sarah invited me to collaborate with her for Ceramix, an exhibition held by Australian Ceramics Association where ceramic artists were invited to collaborate with an artist working in a different medium.
Over 8 months and 2400km Sarah and I created a body of work underpinned by the language and poetry of plants.
A deep connection to our immediate natural environments (me Bruny Island and Sarah Sunshine Coast hinterland) is paramount to our individual practices as is the compulsion to collect, observe and scrutinise.These similarities have brought us together, sharing a quest to morph and form porcelain and silver from inert matter into three-dimensional tactile, sensual and compelling works which explore both the fragility, strength and delicate balance of the natural world.
The final works become storytellers, just as are the plants that inspired them.
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view Florilegium​
