Ceramics, Glass + Fibre

Current

Main Gallery 14 May - 07 June 2025

EMMA VARGA – Come Closer

A solo exhibition of new works in glass

The walk among my small studio garden was once a joyful daily ritual, looking forward to being surrounded by the beauty of the native coastal flora. However, the growing concerns for global warming and its effects on the natural world taint these experiences with a rising anxiety for the future of our environment. I do not aim to distil the natural devastation that is currently occurring, but rather reinforce the notion of the fragility and vulnerability of our environment. With each fragile glass granular, the technique of Pâte de verre beautifully describes the fragility of our environment in its current state of turmoil, immortalising the beauty inherent in my surrounding ecosystem. The fear of losing such immense natural ecosystem should prompt us into action to preserve and truly appreciate our natural world and our place within it. Emma Varga, 2025

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Gallery Two 14 May - 07 June 2025

CATHY FRANZI – Natura

A solo exhibition of new works in ceramics

The inspiration leading to Natura came about during a residency at Cairns Botanic Gardens in September 2024. The tropical plants and environment of North Queensland is a new area of research in my practice, and I delighted in the opportunity to explore wet tropical rainforest, beach dune ecosystems, mangrove forests of the Daintree and the cool river forests of Mount Bartel Frere. The works capture textures and colours that caught my eye as I tried to make sense of the lush walls of green. I am grateful to Cairns Regional Council for the artist in residency program located in the beautiful botanic gardens to think and draw, the Australian Tropical Herbarium to examine specimens up close, and to financial support from the ACT government through artsACT.

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