Entries open May 1 for the 2024 EMAI art prize, entitled 'Nature Speaks.' Photo: Supplied.
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The Foundry Arts Space will be opening its first exhibition of the year on Friday, January 31.
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The exhibition, titled ‘Osmosis’, is inspired by the biological phenomenon that occurs when water moves through a barrier to bring balance to areas of different concentrations.
In the same way, the four artists have shifted through different phases to refine their works and those attending the exhibition will also move between different spaces as they move from one artist to another.
Exhibitors include painters Kathleen Watson and Joan Stevens, basketweaver Heather Turner and sculptor Jess Szigethy.
This will be Heather Turner’s first time exhibiting her works at the Foundry.
Mrs Turner has been weaving for over 30 years and will be showcasing 17 of her handiworks, ranging from older pieces to recently completed works.
No two pieces will be the same, as they use varying materials and techniques and fall into different categories such as shoppers, sewing baskets and sculptural.
A coiled honeysuckle vine basket embellished with seaweed and gumnuts made by Heather Turner. Photo: Supplied.
Mrs Turner said she was looking forward to exhibiting her works to a crowd that would appreciate them.
“It’s a bit of a buzz, it’s nice to have somewhere to show it where someone might appreciate it and even nicer if someone decides they want to have one,” she said.
“Some of the pieces take a long time to work with, each piece has had to have the materials harvested, dried, stored, rehydrated and worked.
“There’s a lot of time and work involved. My most expensive ones are mostly ones that have coiling, which involves stitching. It is very time-consuming.”
There will also be familiar faces among the exhibitors, such as Kathleen Watson, who will be displaying new artworks.
She will be exhibiting nine contemporary landscape artworks that she has recently completed.
The Witness by Kathleen Watson. Photo: Supplied.
She said the paintings were created and refined multiple times over months.
“It took me about three months, I started them all at the same time and then brought them up together,” she said.
“I layered them so there’s layers and layers of textures and colours using acrylic and impasto paint.”
Although this is not her first time exhibiting, she added that she still gets nervous in the lead up to the opening night.
“It’s always nerve-racking for the opening night but it does get easier the more you exhibit,” she said.
The exhibition will be open from Friday, January 31 until Sunday, February 23.
All are welcome to a free special opening event at the Foundry from 6pm on Friday, January 31.
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