This year our Artist in Residence program has had to operate a little differently, not able to welcome the interstate and international artists who usually inhabit our studios. The silver lining is that many more artists from regional WA have been able to take up residency. We recently caught up with Jacky Cheng and Naomie Hatherley to find out more about their practice and what this year has meant for them.
Name: Jacky Cheng
Website: https://jackycheng.com.au/
Instagram: @jackychengart
Jacky Cheng
Tell us about yourself, where you’re based and your practice?
I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I received my Bachelor of Architecture (Honours 1) from the University of New South Wales in 2003. At the same time, I was offered a sessional teaching position at the Faculty of Built Environment at UNSW and was immediately drawn to the creative energy around me.
My introduction into the manipulation of paper was highly influenced by my elders on cultural practices and duties performed for Chinese Ritual purposes. I am most familiar with paper fibres. My competency in working with papers began in my formative years. The women in my family will fold hundreds of joss papers which later include the act of burning the papers to pay respect to our ancestors.
Growing up as a female in Malaysia the creative arts was frowned upon. The phrase ‘I will not invest in you because you will one day lose your surname’ adds to the unfathomable emotion. My journey to gain the trust and respect of my father began when I chose to be an Architect. When I graduated, I became very good at drafting toilet details and that kept my parents happy that I have an ‘occupation’.
However, I was secretly making art from the time I arrived in Australia in 2001. It became apparent to me that making a living out of being an artist was possible. It gave me permission to do what I really loved. I decided on the path to be an artist and later became a part of the creative community in Western Australia. I am currently based in Broome, in a town where the land, people and stories matter.
What are you working on while here on residency?
I have been very fortunate to be one of the lucky recipients of the Resilience Art Grant from Regional Arts WA. My late grandmother left me her mooncake mold and I’ve never once looked at it as a cooking utensil because it is such a beautiful functional sculpture. It tells a story about festivity, culture, community, reunion, identity, family gatherings, mythology and many more auspicious beliefs. I am very interested in exploring mold making and/or replicating the mooncake molds and/or reinterpret my own mooncake mold with my immigrant identity. There are a few facets to this experimentation which include further exploration of using this mold with a medium that I am more familiar with – paper. More importantly, I am excited to play, explore and investigate.
Paper artwork by Jacky Cheng. Image courtesy the artist
In the context of COVID 19, what’s it meant for your practice to be able to come to FAC to complete your residency?
As Australia is still in political tension with the Chinese government, I cannot help but feel a slight burden on my shoulders. The feeling of isolation during COVID19 is magnified by the racist remarks from world leaders in the media targeting Chinese people irrespective of our nationality.
But we are all in this together right?
The residency opportunity presented to me by FAC really ultimately means I am able to play, explore, investigate, connect with peers, make new artist friends, connect with people I’ve ever only connected via social platform to now seeing them in person. Frankly, I am a little nervous to be amongst all these amazing practicing artists. I am looking forward to all the conversations, constructive criticisms and advice. This is a big deal for a regional artist.
What’s up next?
I will be here in FAC until the end of March (very blessed). 2021 yet again presents another exciting year for my practice where I am growing exponentially with different working groups and people in the creative and built environment industry. Some projects are already in the pipeline and in discussion. Unfortunately, I am unable to disclose anymore than to say… YAY!
One of the ongoing projects that started in 2019 for 2020 was temporarily disrupted due to COVID. In short, I am one of 4 participating Broome artist + 1 international artist working on a collaborative ephemeral public art for the Shinju Matsuri festival in August 2021.
Hopefully, exhibition opportunities arise in the near future and if and when the world opens up safely again, I will be back to Finland to continue my residency.
My residency has been supported in part by the Resilience Art Grant from Regional Arts WA.
Name: Naomie Hatherley
Website: Naomiehatherley.com
Instagram: @n0meshath
Naomie Hatherley
Tell us about yourself, where you’re based and your practice?
I am an educator, mother and artist from Broome. I came down to Perth in July for a short residency and have followed it up with this more recent one.
What are you working on while here on residency?
I’m working on a body of work that explores the parallels between women in art and women in sport (AFL). I have been creating works to document the growth and spirit of the women’s game, in effect ‘keeping score’ by referencing key dates and stats in the game across the different league levels using old discarded score tin plates painted with women players that intersect the numbers. For example, did you know the first Australian Rules game played by women was in Perth in 1915? Or that the WAFL agreed to start a women’s league in 1987? I have used my time at FAC to research the women’s game here in WA by meeting with and yarning to die-hard fans, players, coaches and other instrumental insiders in an attempt to characterise the unique culture of the women’s game and collect inspiration for further artwork development.
In the context of COVID 19, what’s it meant for your practice to be able to come to FAC to complete your residency?
Being able to travel in WA was such a privilege, so was being able to talk to and photograph the East Freo Sharks playing in the first rounds of WAFLW games in Perth following lockdown was incredible when I came down in July for my first residency. I was able to establish many contacts that I followed up on for this second residency in November/December, which was brilliant.
What’s up next?
One of my Keeping Score artworks was meant to be exhibited in May at John Curtin Gallery (Curtin University) but was cancelled due to COVID. While this was disappointing it has given me more time to dive deeper into this idea and spend more time reflecting on how a body of work might encapsulate the story of women in football. I’d like to have a more comprehensive body of work together that I hope to exhibit in the near future. In the meantime, I plan to keep documenting the artwork progress on Instagram.
Find out more about our Artist in Residence program
DesignFreo: Object, Space, Place looks at Fremantle through the lens of design and draws attention to how design shapes our experiences as individuals and as a community. The exhibition explores our relationship to designed objects, spaces and places and features local architects and furniture makers, and fashion, industrial, interior and graphic designers.
We recently caught up with Pippa Hurst, founder of DesignFreo and curator of Object, Space, Place, to find out more about the exhibition and Pippa’s vision. You can hear from Pippa and a whole slew of Fremantle designers at a FAC Artist Talk tomorrow night.
Hi Pippa, you’re the founder of DesignFreo. What inspired you to create the organisation?
DesignFreo was created as a platform to shine a light on our city’s thriving design community. We’re a small town but we have a high concentration of talented designers, working and winning awards across every discipline. These include architecture, interiors, landscape, fashion, communications, product and digital design.
DesignFreo aims to make this work more visible and accessible. Our events, workshops and exhibitions create opportunities to see what these designers do, hear their ideas and join a broader conversation about why it’s important. Good design brings joy to the every day and also tackles the bigger challenges facing our communities – both thrown into sharp relief in 2020.
Sharing local stories adds another layer to our city’s rich creative identity and strengthens our connection to the place where we live. In a time of global pandemic, it can also build economic resilience. A passionate team of local creatives has worked hard to get DesignFreo up and running. We’re all volunteers who care deeply about the future of our town and our planet.
Can you tell us about DesignFreo’s first exhibition Object, Space, Place and the vision behind it?
Object, Space, Place celebrates everyday design in the context of our unique geographic location. Three galleries offer three different experiences, all drawing attention to how design shapes our lives and reflects particular values.
We all make myriad design decisions in a day – we choose what to wear, use, buy and discard. These design decisions, and the legacy they carry, radiate outwards from the individual to the communal to the global. This idea forms the conceptual framework for the show.
The main gallery looks at our personal objects and spaces. spaceagency architects has created a ‘house’ within the gallery, a demonstration of architecture’s capacity to offer surprise and intrigue. The installation references renovation, a common practice in Fremantle, and within the newly-created ‘rooms’ sits the work of five local designers, each expressing a different design intent. Varied in form and function, the work reveals the thought and complexity behind the design of common objects. From an electric bike to a deconstructed table, the work is linked by a common concern for our responsibility as designers and consumers to reduce carbon emissions, waste, and over-consumption.
DesignFreo: Object, Space, Place opening night. Squarepeg home table design. Photography by PIxel Poetry
In Gallery 3, Penhale & Winter shift the design focus from the personal to the communal. Shadow Space is an immersive, site-specific installation that draws attention to the strong relationship that Fremantle has with the physical matter on which it is built. Referencing the verandah as an in-between space, the work invites consideration of how design shapes our sense of place in the wider city, where contrasts between limestone and timber, public and private, open and closed, influence how we feel. A map on the accompanying floorsheet encourages moving beyond the gallery and into the city itself.
Penhale and Winter, Shadow Space, 2020. DesignFreo: Object, Space, Place exhibition opening. Photography by Pixel Poetry
In the Kathleen O’Connor Gallery, What’s My Type? brings a playful tone to another aspect of design we encounter every day but often give little thought to – typography. Isabel Kruger’s photographs in the hallway feature local found type. Inside the gallery, Becky Chilcott’s super-sized characters offer a fresh perspective on the familiar, inviting visitors to identify the typeface that best aligns with their own personality as a fun way to explore the way type communicates.
DesignFreo: Object, Space Place exhibition opening. What’s by Type. Photography by Pixel Poetry
As a whole, the exhibition invites audiences to slow down and look at the world through a design lens. Questioning the provenance and values embedded in everything around us is an opportunity to engage more deeply with everyday life and elevate the ordinary. Embracing local design strengthens our connection to place and our community’s capacity to be more resilient – ‘buy once, buy well, buy local’ rewards the individual and the collective.
Fremantle is home to a bustling creative community. Why do you think creativity thrives in the port city more so than other areas in Perth?
Frremantle has a long history as a creative hub. The artists came when real estate in the working port was cheap and laid a strong creative foundation that is now deeply embedded in our city’s culture, despite the rocket in property prices!
Creatives are drawn to Freo’s cultural diversity, urban fabric, progressive politics and coastal lifestyle. I think a lot of people who leave Perth come back to WA and see Fremantle as the closest thing to the vibrant, gritty urban environments found in bigger cities, with the added attraction of the river and ocean. The city’s scale promotes a connected, tight-knit community. And like attracts like – our creative community continues to grow. Being able to collaborate with other creatives is a big drawcard.
What can visitors expect at tomorrow’s event?
I’m really looking forward to introducing the designers who are in the show and sharing some of the stories behind their work. I could easily talk to each of them for an hour – there are so many layers to what they do, from the pragmatic to the political. But I promise to keep to a time limit!
After the talk audiences will be able to explore the show, where the designers will be alongside their work to answer questions or just have a chat. It’s a great opportunity to meet some talented local creatives and learn more about what they do and how it might be of benefit in your own life.
What does 2021 have in store for DesignFreo?
We’ll be building on our events program, including a weekend design festival that was postponed earlier this year. We’ll be continuing our Conversations series, where we pair up designers from different disciplines who have collaborated on interesting projects – we’ve already got some amazing graphic designers, filmmakers, landscape designers and fashion designers lined up.
We’ll also be inviting audiences on-site to view new architectural projects as they are completed. And telling more design stories on our website – subscribe to stay in the loop on upcoming events, and keep an eye on our socials. We are excited about all the great design being created in our town and all the things we have to share.
Want to know more? Join us Wed 9 Dec for the exhibition talk.
Buy tickets
Stall Name: Crawlin Crocodile
Website: crawlincrocodile.com
Instagram: @crawlincrocodile
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’ll be selling?
I’m a 24-year-old multidisciplinary artist and designer. I am both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. My practice includes painting, illustration, sculpture, animation and graphic design. I’ll be selling a diverse range of items that reflect my practice from my newly published comic book to paintings. Hopefully, there is a little something for everyone.
Tyrown Waigana, The Lay Around Life, 66 x 66cm. Image courtesy the artist
How do you make the works?
I tend to jump headfirst into my work and allow creation to take form in the moment. I might do some research before I start or come back intermittently. I usually have some ambiguous theme that will drive the way it looks or just completely make it up as I go. My creation is a journey.
Tyrown Waigana, Linger. Image courtesy the artist
Why is it important to support local makers?
You can get something unique that you may not be able to buy anywhere else and your money goes back into the local community.
What’s your top gift tip this Christmas?
You should probably get onto one of my paintings 🙂
Bazaar runs 5–9pm Fri 4 Dec | 9am–5pm Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec
Stall Name: Deep Earth Ceramics
Website: www.deepearthceramics.com
Instagram: @deepearthceramics
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’ll be selling?
I live in Palmyra & work from my beautiful garden studio. I have a background in Art & Design & majored in Studio Ceramics.
How do you make the works?
My work is all hand thrown, sometimes I use additions of hand-building techniques. I work from my small garden studio in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Living so close to the Indian Ocean informs many of my pieces. The stunning blue waters, white stretches of unspoiled beaches and at times the moody and dramatic skies that meet the ocean on the horizon play a part in integrating clay and design.
Most importantly my work is made with love and designed to use each and every day.
A selection of Deep Earth Ceramics tableware
Why is it important to support local makers?
Fremantle has an amazing wealth of artistic talent that continues to thrive through the support of the local community. Recognising the importance of local makers creates a stronger & more caring community, a community that is aware of the environment, concerned with the well-being of its people & in turn supporting the local economy.
What’s your top gift tip this Christmas?
My top gift from my range this year would have to be my Ocean inspired Keep Cups!
Bazaar runs 5–9pm Fri 4 Dec | 9am–5pm Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec
Whether this is your first time to Bazaar or your tenth, we’ve compiled a list of all the tips you’ll need to make the most of your day at the market.
Download the Safe WA app before you leave home
From Saturday 5 December all visitors to Fremantle Arts Centre must register their contact details.
Download the SafeWA app before you leave home for the quickest entry. Then you’ll simply need to scan FAC’s QR code, available at the entrance, before you enter our grounds.
If you prefer not to use the app, speak to our gate staff to register your information.
Your contact details will be encrypted and stored for 28 days by the WA Health Department. They will only be used if COVID-19 contact tracing is required.
Download the SafeWA app in the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Card payments A-Okay!
Our payment stalls, front gate and all food vendors are fully equipped with EFTPOS and credit card facilities.
Entry is $2 per adult, kids under 12 are free. Have your change ready at the gate for speedy entry.
Pay for everything at once
Bazaar operates with a central payment system. Browse all the stalls, collecting dockets from stallholders as you. When you want to purchase something, go to the payment tent located on the South Lawn (past the bar and food trucks) and pay for everything in one go. Simple! Then take your docket(s) back to the stalls to pick up your goods.
Parking
There’s limited free street parking on Finnerty, Ord and Vale Streets. There is also parking available on the vacant block of land on Burt street.
Additional paid parking is available across the road at Fremantle Leisure Centre.
Alternatively, get public transport. FAC is a short 10 minute walk from Fremantle train station with several bus routes stopping nearby. Head to the Transperth Journey Planner to find your best route.
Grab a Map
Pick up a map at the gate to help you easily find specific stallholders, toilets, the payment tent, bar, food vendors and change rooms.
Search #FACBazaar on Instagram
Search the #FACBazaar hashtag for a sneak peek at all the amazing products you can expect to find at Bazaar and to follow stallholders you love.
We’d also love you to share your Bazaar experience with us. If you take any pics over the weekend be sure to tag us @fremantleartscentre.
Meet the makers
There’s nothing better than buying direct from makers and artisans. Take the time to chat with the people who have made the things you’re coveting. They’d love to tell you more about their range and how their products are made.
Food & Drink Offerings
There will be lots of yummy food to choose from to keep your energy up while you shop. Head to the South Lawn, behind our building, to find a selection of delicious meals from an array of food vendors and a fully stocked bar (opening 12pm Sat + Sun).
This year’s food vendors include: Paella on the Move (Friday night only), La Paleta, The Habibs, Box Pizza Co., Bollygood Spices, CANVAS café stall and CANVAS café.
We will also have a water station, so bring your refillable water bottle.
Entertainment
There will be a kids activities tent located on the South Lawn. Plus our Kids’ Corner is open throughout Bazaar.
You can also check out our latest exhibitions, DesignFreo: Object, Space, Place and Watch this space! in the galleries and enjoy tunes from local DJs across the weekend.
Change Rooms
Change rooms are located next to the toilets at the back of the building, just near stall 32.
Leave your dog at home
We love dogs but they’re not permitted within FAC grounds.
Treat yourself!
Go on, you deserve it.
Bazaar runs 5–9pm Fri 4 Dec | 9am–5pm Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec
Stall Name: Daniel(ink)
Website: shop.danielink.com.au
Instagram: @danielink_tshirts
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’ll be selling?
My name is Daniel Pavlovic and I have a little t-shirt business! I design my t-shirts for everyone from babies to adults! My tees come in a range of black white or grey and in short or long sleeves. I’ve also started making embroidered hats and hoodies and prints of my illustrations.
I didn’t set out to be a t-shirt designer, I really wanted to be a comedian. I really loved art class in high school and went on to do a TAFE art course, I thought it would be a cool idea to put some of my designs on t-shirts. What started as a little stall at a local arts festival with my first design has grown into the many designs and different styles I have now. Daniel(ink.) has literally given me a whole new direction in life and a new focus. Did I mention I have Cerebral Palsy? CP affects the muscles in my legs and hands so don’t get me wrong, life may be a challenge, but I am enjoying that challenge!
A t-shirt design by Daniel(ink). Image courtesy the artist
How do you make the works?
I design my illustrations at my family home in the beautiful hills of Perth. These designs are then individually screen printed the old fashioned way onto 100% cotton t-shirts at a local business just around the corner. My grandmother then helps hand stitch my labels onto each tee, she’s in her 80s now but still wants to help out! My Dad, my Mum and my sister also help me out, so it’s a real family affair.
Why is it important to support local makers?
We’ve all got to help each other out, especially with everything that’s happening in the world at the moment. Buying things made by locals is a small thing we can do that means a lot to someone else.
A model wearing one of Daniel(ink)’s t-shirt designs. Image courtesy the artist
What’s your top gift tip this Christmas?
Getting people’s artwork as gifts is a great idea, art makes people happy and can brighten up anything. If you’re after something Christmas-themed I’ve designed a special Christmas tee with an added gold star and there’s one for the whole family!
Bazaar runs 5–9pm Fri 4 Dec | 9am–5pm Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec
Stall Name: Semblance
Instagram: @semblance_bymeagan
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’ll be selling?
My name is Meagan Gardiner and my business is Semblance. I make shadow box style artworks with really carefully arranged found objects such as shells, pressed wildflowers, opal chips, deconstructed watches, and other small & interesting objects that I find.
I grew up on a farm in the Wheatbelt and I started Semblance in 1997 but it was called Cards With A View back then.
Meagan Gardiner in her studio. Image courtesy the artist
How do you make the works? Tell us about your process.
The process of making each piece is slow and time consuming, but I actually really like that part. It’s very meditative! I spend a lot of time bent over a workbench grading things into colours and sizes. The larger pieces can often take weeks to make. It’s a bit like doing a 1,000 piece jigsaw. Sometimes you need a break and a stretch and a cup of tea before you can keep going.
Semblance by Meagan Gardiner. Image courtesy the artist
Why is it important to support local makers?
I think it’s important now more than ever to support local makers! We need to grow our communities and a nice way of doing that is getting out into your neighborhood and attending events where you can have conversations with each other. It’s lovely to meet the makers and make connections, whether it’s fresh produce or jewellery.
What do you think makes Bazaar stand out from other markets?
I think the location plays a huge part. It’s such a delightful space and I love the light coming through the trees. I also love the fact that the Bazaar is run over Friday night and the two days of the weekend.
I love the Bazaar so much that it formed a huge part of why my husband and I chose to have our wedding at FAC.
Bazaar runs 5–9pm Fri 4 Dec | 9am–5pm Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec
Stall: Juluwarlu
Website: www.juluwarlu.com.au
Instagram: @juluwarlu
Based in Roebourne, Juluwarlu is an organisation dedicated to preserving, recording and promoting the culture of Yindjibardni people. Works created at Juluwarlu span multiple platforms including audio, video, documents and photos. Juluwarlu offers traineeships for local people in cultural preservation, trips on Country and artist residences. The Arts Centre also produces documentaries, radio, TV and books and provides a space for the community to relax, feel safe and come together.
We recently caught up with some of the Juluwarlu artists travelling to Fremantle for Bazaar. Be sure to visit their stall and find out more about their work.
Margaret Read (artist)
Margaret Read painting on country. Image courtesy Juluwarlu
Hi Margaret, can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you’ll be selling?
I’ll be coming down to Fremantle to sell some of my paintings I do at Juluwarlu.
How do you make your works?
I usually get a vision or idea in my head and then I start. I start with an outline and then I start painting it. I’m kind of new at being an artist, I really only started last year (2019).
Why is it important to support local makers?
Because they put in the time, patience and hours to achieve good results.
What’s your top gift tip this Christmas?
Sharing and caring!
Judith Coppin (artist)
Judith Coppin painting in the studio. Image courtesy Juluwarlu
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’ll be selling?
I’ll be selling some of my art and my boards.
How do you make your works?
I sit down for weeks and do a big painting. Then I’ll go back to my board then think about my painting and then go back to painting. I paint about Ngurra. I like painting about my Country, it’s good to paint about your country, it reminds you of being back there.
Why is it important to support local makers?
It is important to share our art and culture with other artists from different places.
Wendy Hubert (artist)
Wendy Hubert Painting in the studio. Image courtesy Juluwarlu
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’ll be selling?
I’ll be selling my pictures of trees.
How do you make the works?
I’m still learning! But I’m getting it slowly. I always painted by myself at home or on Country but now since I’ve started at Juluwarlu I am more focused.
Bazaar runs 5–9pm Fri 4 Dec | 9am–5pm Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec
Dylan and Carmen Ollivierre are The Money War, an esteemed songwriting duo from WA. Formed in 2016, The Money War’s success has seen them tour nationally with the likes of Meg Mac, Dope Lemon and Holy Holy. Neil Finn is a fan and even hand-picked them as his opening act on a recent Australian tour. In the lead up to this weekend’s Sunday Music, we caught up with Carmen to find out more about the band and what audiences can expect from this weekend’s gig.
Hi Carmen, can you tell us your introduction to music?
My dad tells me that he used to hold headphones up to my mum’s belly when I was in the womb, playing James Taylor to me. The JT thing continued throughout my entire childhood (some might call this indoctrination haha) and my dad used to play guitar to me as well. Surprisingly I still enjoy listening to his music! Dad started teaching me to play when I was about 12 and it went from there.
What has been your best gig/tour memory?
The whole tour that we did with Holy Holy in 2017 was awesome, it was our first time doing a really big support tour. We hired a van and drove for a lot of it. We drove from Hobart to Launceston and it was so beautiful, snow started to fall as we were driving! The shows were a lot of fun too and we played to some of the biggest crowds we’ve had – but overall it was incredible to see more of Aus that way.
You’ve just released your second album Morning People. What was the inspiration behind it?
The whole album was basically inspired by our son, Jack. We began writing for this album around the same time we found out we were going to be parents. Naturally, we ended up with an album full of songs that delve into the emotions and the change in perspective that came with it. We didn’t plan for it to be a themed album but we always write about things that are going on around us. Some songs are still very universal in their message. A lot of people just hear more love songs, which I guess some of them are, they’re just love songs for our baby.
Everyone has a FAC story. What’s your favourite Fremantle Arts Centre memory?
I played here with my old band Warning Birds, I think it was actually an EP launch night back in 2013, it was such a great night. It’s actually a super weird coincidence, we played on the 29th of November, which is the same date as this show! And, we’re playing alongside my old bandmate Sam Carmody from Warning Birds.
What can we expect from your Sunday Music gig?
We’re playing with our full band, as a 5-piece. We’ll be playing some of our old faves as well as a bunch of new songs from the album for the first time. It’s also gonna be the first time our boy Jack gets to see us perform, he’ll probably sleep through it (he’s 4 months old).
Want to find out more about The Money War?
Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.
Sunday Music runs 2–4pm each Sunday from Oct – Mar
Sunday Music is free and showcases the finest local musicians. Be sure to get down early as capacity is strictly limited. Sunday Music is possible thanks to the ongoing support of Bendigo Bank – Fremantle Community Bank Branch. 2020–21 is the twelfth year of the longstanding partnership.
Stall Name: ka:ke
Website: www.makekake.com
Instagram: @make.kake
Ka : Ke designers Kate Rae and Kerry O’Flaherty. Image supplied
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’ll be selling?
ka:ke is an artistic collaboration between us – Kate Rae and Kerry O’Flaherty.
Drawing on our background in the architecture and design industry, ka:ke is our joint exploration into creating smaller objects of art to decorate both the body and the home. We explore mixed media, object design, ranging in scale from small and intricate jewellery to large sculptural pieces, with a focus on sustainable and considered design and fabrication.
As well as our developing range of jewellery we have been commissioned to create sculptural pieces for clients such as the Ritz Carlton and are currently designing a range of bespoke everyday objects.
We will have a selection of our sculptural wares and unique jewellery for sale, some new one-off pieces and some timeless old favourites!
How do you make the works?
All our work is designed and carefully handcrafted by us in our Leederville studio. Our work is inspired by the beauty and tactility of different raw materials, patinas, texture and colour, and focuses on a strong geometric language, simple lines and bold shapes. Our process starts as an exploration in form and composition – balancing shape, colour, and movement, using a combination of new, semi-precious raw materials and re-purposed industry offcuts.
Creating our pieces often begins by rummaging through our treasure of studio materials to fashion into large sculptural forms, kinetic mobiles, or delicate objects of wearable art. Our process is based on zero waste, and new designs are often generated from the offcut of the last piece created. Our jewellery, in particular, explores the idea of adaptability, with some pieces sold as separates, or interchangeable pieces to encourage longevity and personalisation.
Our jewellery uses predominately recycled sterling silver, oxidised sterling silver, jewellery grade raw brass and titanium. Our mobiles and sculptural wares are assembled from a mix of new and upcycled materials in raw brass, salvaged copper, oxidised copper, aluminium, wood, ceramics, and acrylic pieces. We love that something precious can come from such humble beginnings.
Ka:ke Earrings. Image courtesy the artist
Why is it important to support local makers?
Supporting local strengthens our community and enables connection directly to the maker.
It is a great feeling getting to speak to the maker directly and learn about the process and story. You know that these are special pieces, which are carefully created with a lot of love, joy (and tears sometimes!).
Importantly, there is a traceability and hopefully a better understanding of the supply chain and sustainability of the product.
What’s your top gift tip this Christmas?
2020 will be a year to remember, and where we spend our money is more important than ever for a lot of us. So, buy it because you love it, not because you have to buy a gift. Give something with a local story, unique and designed and made to endure the test of time.
What makes Bazaar stand out from other markets?
The incredible location, the curated and considered selection of artists and makers that offer diverse and high-quality unique products, and the fantastically well-organised event by the FAC staff. And ultimately the committed, supportive, and loyal return customers that come because of this.
