openings + exhibitions

Elk by Karlee Rawkins - on display at the Big Rock Candy Mountain exhibition at Iain Dawson Gallery, Paddington, Sydney.

'holding hands', designed by Dell Stewart and Adam Cruickshank (image courtesy of Craft Victoria)

Winter Swan by Irene Grishin-Selzer from the I Threw a Kiss in the Ocean exhibition at Outré Gallery, Melbourne, July 2010. (AUD $520)

We're really excited about next Tuesday night's Asperatus exhibition. Not only is it Matt Huynh's first solo exhibition in three years - it's also being held at the Australian Museum... in the Skeleton Gallery!

"Saltwater IV" by Jade Oakley, 2010, 55 x 54 x 54cm , gouache, paper, polyurethane resin & stainless steel wire. Photograph by Anthony Pearse.

Breathe by Helen Kontouris, Victoria Side Table by Kain Lucas (of UTE) and Carbonwood by Gary Galego - finalists in the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award 2009

Currently on display in the Gin Garden at Establishment are the works of 10 finalists in the 2009 Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award. The opening night was a buzz of design devotees, gin cocktails and inspiring design - much of which hung from the ceiling so that it could be admired above the crowd. With items such as the "Breathe" couch and the "Carbonwood" bicycle seeming to defy gravity, you could really appreciate the shapes and forms whilst removed from a 'functional' context. We were given a box of postcards, featuring each of the designs...

Peppered Sunlight by Rohan Nicol and other catalogue cards from the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award 2009

The winner was announced on 18.11.2009 and our congratulations to Rohan Nicol, whose "Peppered Sunlight" (pictured above) took out the honours. The work is a large pendant light with a choice of three patterned light diffusers. The light emitted is similar to sunlight as filtered through trees.

Victoria Side Table by Kain Lucas (of UTE) and Twist by Adam Cornish - catalogue cards from the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award 2009

We were thrilled to discover Kain Lucas had been selected as one of the finalists with his work "Victoria Side Table". Kain was inspired to design the piece whilst overlooking Hong Kong's iconic Victoria Harbour at night. Reminiscent of the movement of water, the Victoria Side Table is made from a single sheet of mild steel that is laser cut then stretched into its bell shape. Kain is the designer behind the rather brilliant products we featured earlier this year in our post titled "design that works". (Fans of UTE are in for a surprise next week on indie art & design - stay tuned!!)

Daily Grind by David Knott, Carbonwood by Gary Galego and Weddell by Marcel Sigel - catalogue cards from the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award 2009

Some of my favourites are pictured above. "The Daily Grind" by David Knott has such a sensual shape & feel. The curved shape of the base has an organic feel - perhaps representing the essence of the coffee beans it contains.

"Carbonwood" by Gary Galego is made from a composite of carbon fibre and wood. It is both environmentally responsible and highly innovative; the fibre cloth strengthens the wood to make a high-performance material. It looks sleek & chic too!

"Weddell" by Marcel Sigel takes inspiration from a liquid. The design mimics wave like structures, and the vertical and lateral ribs sweep and surge up from the floor. The name is derived from a certain type of seal found in the Weddell Sea in Antarctica.

I also really love the unbroken lines of "Breathe" by Helen Kontouris (pictured at the top). The base and "legs" are an integral part of the design, and they flow seamlessly into the arms and seating supports. It is constructed entirely of recyclable polyethylene and aluminium, providing an all-weather solution that is environmentally friendly and able to withstand the harsh Australian sun.

The Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award exhibition for 2009 is showing at the Gin Garden at Establishment, 252 George St, Sydney, until November 30th. It will then travel to Melbourne and Brisbane venues in early 2010.

Two exciting new shows have just opened - Catherine Campbell's solo show Tall Stories and Papercuts at Extended Play Gallery in Northcote, Melbourne, and Hip Pop, a group show presented by United Galleries at Saatchi & Saatchi in The Rocks, Sydney... Exhibiting artists at Hip Pop include David Disher, Stephen Dupont, Jane Fontane, Lee Grant, William Hold, Ben Ali Ong, Patricia Mado, Ben Rak and Kareena Zerefos.

Dressing for a Crescent Moon 4 - Print of an original ink, watercolour and collage drawing by Catherine Campbell (US $15)

For the Tall Stories and Papercuts exhibition, Catherine (whose studio is known as My Folk Lover) created a series of four long scroll type pieces based on some of her favourite female characters. She was drawn to the 'split nature' of each of these women, and found these intense opposing forces "quite inspiring for the basis of a few drawings"! The exhibition invitation (top) shows a detail of one of these works, and the entire piece is amazing! (You can see it on Catherine's Flickr site.)

These are on display, along with a selection of smaller works, at Extended Play Gallery which opened its doors in Northcote just last month. The gallery is in front of the studio space where Catherine now works alongside fellow artist Andy Lewis. If you're in Melbourne, make sure to get along! I adore Catherine's work - a mixture of delicate illustration, femininity and thoughtful, balanced composition... You can also visit her web site at www.catherinecampbell.net, follow her blog at www.myfolklover.typepad.com or shop for My Folk Lover prints at www.myfolklover.etsy.com.

Tall Stories and Papercuts
11 - 28 November 2009
Extended Play Gallery
547 High Street, Northcote, Melbourne
Gallery open: Wed - Sat, 11am - 5pm.

Fox and Feathers - original artwork by Kareena Zerefos

We have featured Kareena Zerefos' work a number of times on indie art & design (May 08, Nov 08, Nov 08 & Feb 08!), and we had to share these new works with you! They were created with pencil & oils on wood, and they're incredible.

Kareena describes this series as "exploring childhood fears of an isolated, dystopian 'Australia'. The imagery is based on my memories growing up in the rural outskirts of sydney, surrounded by bush dwelling animals... foxes that would stare hauntingly through the trees (and would get into our chicken pen), possums sometimes comforting but at other times terrifying and reptiles that creep around like alien creatures of another time."

The girl and the possum - original artwork by Kareena Zerefos

I'm looking forward to seeing these soon... There are a few more images on Kareena's blog at www.kareenazerefos.com. So beautiful!

12 - 27 November 2009
United Galleries presents Hip Pop
at Saatchi & Saatchi
70 George St, The Rocks, Sydney
Gallery open: Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm.

"Druantia and Ava" by Nadia Turner (Wayward Harper)

Illustrators are, by their very nature, storytellers, and a trio of Melbourne-based artists (whose paintings I love) currently have their work on show at the GASWORKS Arts Park.

"Creature" detail by Nadia Turner (Wayward Harper)

Titled "Stories To Tell", the exhibition showcases the work of Nadia Turner, Rhiannon Mowat and Alisha Ball. Each artist has their own unique painting style, but all of their images offer a window to an imaginary world. The works draw inspiration from many sources: from classic fairytales and folklore; to Shakespeare; to the darker myths and legends that form part of our cultural consciousness.

Mixed works by Nadia Turner (Wayward Harper)

Nadia Turner's work is incredible. Intricate detail, and the very way she paints each stroke contributes to each character possessing a real presence. They step into our space and silently suggest that they were here first.

Combining fine detail with decorative elements, Nadia's paintings evoke a sense of otherworldliness.

Nadia draws inspiration from many sources, including the art of the Surrealists, the Pre-Raphaelites, traditional folk art, various children's books, and music - more specifically the music of the Celtic Harp and all the mythology and folklore associated with it. For "Stories To Tell", you can expect lots of beautiful fairytale and myth inspired work! Nadia says she's discovered "a definite gypsy theme" running throughout her work.

"Tea and Sympathy" by Rhiannon Mowat

The three artists met when they studied illustration together at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, graduating in 2005. They had a lot of fun and have remained friends since. Rhiannon and Nadia have exhibited together before, but this is the first time all three girls have shown their work together.

The paintings revolve around what they love best, which of course is illustrating. In particular they tend to be drawn towards themes of fairytales or myth and folklore.

For this exhibition, Rhiannon draws her inspiration from the plays of Shakespeare, using his words and themes throughout her work.

"What White Rabbit?" by Rhiannon Mowat

Rhiannon Mowat's paintings are full of drama & whimsy. Her characters are wide-eyed & quirky, drawn from dark worlds and spooky tales.

I especially love Rhiannon's works pictured above, "Tea and Sympathy" and "What White Rabbit?". The clever composition (in the latter) teases us with the mystery of what lies further down the rabbit hole.

Painting by Alisha Ball

Alisha Ball has been traveling for the past few years and a lot of her work is directly influenced by her travels and the cultures of the countries she passed through.

I love the colours in Alisha's painting (above). The rich, pinks & golds in the woman's scarf and skintones against the cool pastel tones in the background. The palette itself gives this beautiful image a spiritual feel.

Stories To Tell officially opens this Thursday night at the Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery in the GASWORKS Arts Park, but you can visit the exhibition any time from yesterday! The show continues until 14th June 2009.

Date: 25 May to 14 June 2009
Venue: Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery
Time: Opening Thursday 28 May, 6pm to 8pm
Gallery Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm, daily
Enquiries: 03 8606 4200