We know that Pacific Island populations spread out well beyond the islands themselves. Countries like Australia are home to many from the islands who proudly continue to engage with their culture beyond the seas. But what does it mean to be a Pacific Islander living in a wide brown land like Australia? Maryann Talia Pau [...]
Posts under ‘fibre’
Made in Tuvalu, heard throughout the world
The recent Wasawasa Festival of the Oceans in Suva was a golden opportunity to meet with members of the broad Pacific community. One of the stalls I admired most was created by the Tuvalu community. The stall was decorated with a wonderful range of crafts, including leis for dancing, elegant fans, tiputa garlands for weddings [...]
Finally made it! Castlemaine’s new take on art
The first Castlemaine Visual Arts Biennial opened last night with exhibitions in two town venues and public art through the greater township. The theme Art of Making: Artisanship and Invention responded to the kind of artistic community in the area, which draws from its light industrial history to create work through foundries, forgies and workshops. [...]
From a hard to a soft place – national identity in metal and fibre
image It’s always enlivening when Damian Skinner comes to town. We gave at talk together at RMIT in the unusual setting of Hoyts Cinema 7 in Melbourne Central. It was disconcerting to see the students and jewellers lying back in their comfy seats as though waiting for a blockbuster. Damian began with his reading of [...]
Children can be the link between craft and design
image The Tradition for Modern Times was an intense workshop to complete the Selling Yarns conference. Participants brought a range of skills and experiences, particularly from Indigenous and artisan craft centres. In first considering the kinds of objects that have value in life, there was a great emphasis on some knowledge or connection to those [...]
From a hard to a soft place – national identity in metal and fibre
It’s always enlivening when Damian Skinner comes to town. We gave at talk together at RMIT in the unusual setting of Hoyts Cinema 7 in Melbourne Central. It was disconcerting to see the students and jewellers lying back in their comfy seats as though waiting for a blockbuster. Damian began with his reading of the [...]
Go bush at the national centre
I’m spending a couple of weeks in Canberra with the ceramics department at the Canberra School of Art. The region has quite its fair share of craft capital. image Beth Hatton ‘transient as a tree’ 2008, cedar tripod, acacia tree root image Beth Hatton Introducing species scotch thistle, yorkshire fog, redanther wallaby grass, allocasuarina seeks, [...]
