Main Gallery 10 April - 04 May 2024
Kirstie Rea – trellis
Sabbia Gallery is pleased to present this long awaited and extraordinary solo exhibition of new works in glass by Kirstie Rea. As an independent artist, Kirstie’s work over the past 35 years has investigated her exploration of the Australian bush environment beyond the urban fringe. At the core of this investigation lies a desire to seek an understanding of our often-tenuous connections to place. Walking in these places, seeking solitude and distance from the everyday, Kirstie has drawn on her photography and writing to inform her making. Recent years have seen her turn to spending considerably more time in the garden where the delights of seasons and nature, of growing and producing have given her as much reward as the bush walks of previous years. Inspiration from the interconnectedness within nature, alongside simple garden narratives are embedded in recent works. Having established her studio in 1987, following her graduation from the Glass program at the Canberra School of Art, Kirstie has continued to develop her practice to become internationally recognised and respected for her works in glass. She was a lecturer in the Glass Workshop, Australian National University from 1987-2003, and was the inaugural Creative Director at Canberra Glassworks. Teaching and mentoring have played a major role in Kirstie’s arts practice. She has taught in her field of kiln formed glass and cold working techniques across the world since 1987. Kirstie’s glass practice has been recognised by awards such as the Ausglass Honorary Life Membership Award (2009), the artsACT Creative Arts Fellowship (2004), the CAPO Fellow Award (2014), the Canberra Glassworks Fellowship (2016), the Klaus Moje Glass Award and most recently a World Crafts Council Asia Pacific Region, Craft Master Award (2024).
