Curtin academics have curated a fibre and textile exhibition to celebrate the 30-year sister-state relationship between Western Australia and Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture region.
Works by 25 Western Australian and 25 Japanese fibre and textile artists are now on display at the Western Australian Museum as part of the Re: a prefix exhibition.
Curtin School of Art and Design staff Anne Farren, Moira Doropoulos and Trish Little who operate the WA-based Textile Exchange Project (TEP), curated the exhibition.
The TEP has been involved in the development of cultural exchange activity with Japan since 1992.
Curtin lecturer Ms Farren said the TEP allowed artists to express their talents whilst representing the different themes and traditions from Japanese and Australian culture.
“For more than 15 years we have developed a number of exchange exhibitions throughout Australia and Japan that has revealed some exquisite talent,” she said.
“In addition to artists getting the opportunity to express themselves artistically, the TEP allows Japanese and Australian artists to exchange traditions and learn about each other’s culture.”
She said the exhibition reflected the role Curtin had played in the development of textile arts in WA.
“More than half of the exhibitors have been trained and or taught at the University over the past 20 years,” she said.
Artists who submitted work to Re: a prefix were asked to focus on the themes and ideas around ‘repetition and reflection’ in acknowledging the Japanese and Australian traditions.
The exhibition opened at the Hyogo Prefecture Museum of Art in Kyoto in August, and includes digital and dye-based media works produced by 50 Australian and Japanese practitioners.
Japanese artists Nobuki Hiror and Chie Sakai and Japanese curator Keiko Kawashima were in Perth for the opening.
The exhibition opened at the WA Museum on Saturday 12 November and will run until the end of January 2012.
To find out more about the exhibition or view the catalogue, visit www.textileexchangeproject.org
Contacts:
Karys Nella, Public Relations, Curtin
Tel: 08 9266 3353, Email: karys.nella@curtin.edu.au
Web: http://curtin.edu.au
Anne Farren, Academic Coordinator Fashion and Design, Curtin
Tel: 08 9266 2274, Email: A.Farren@exchange.curtin.edu.au
Web: http://curtin.edu.au
