Squished – the first public exhibition of the Squish Art Collective – opens at the Eltham Library this Thursday, July 5 and officially launch Friday, July 6 at 5 pm.
Turning the spotlight on six of Nillumbik’s young emerging artists ranging in age from 18 to 20. The work is diverse, as are the different mediums used.
Women’s liberation, spirituality, and coping with a broken world are just some of the issues explored and reflected in the works of art on show.
The Squish Art Collective was established last year, including artists and musicians.
The collective’s debut exhibition runs until day, Monday, August 6 at the Community Gallery, Panther Place, Eltham.
Nillumbik Shire Council’s Arts Advisory Committee deputy chair, Councillor Jane Ashton said council was proud to have supported the exhibition through a Youth Development Quick Response grant.
“It is wonderful Council can help provide young people with a platform for their creativity. I hope the debut work of many young artists will be showcased for years to come,” Cr Ashton said.
The emerging artists are:
- Ellie Bricknell, 18, is exhibiting 40 pieces of artwork using a variety of mediums ranging from charcoal to acrylic and watercolour. Ellie explained her work, “We are living in two very different worlds, between the physical and mental realm. One of my messages is how to navigate your own mind in a society that is quite broken.”
- Jordan Spargo, 18, said the exhibition gave him a chance to showcase his photographs. “Art is subjective, people take what they want from it.”
- Jemima Longworth, 20, is studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts at RMIT. Her nude oil paintings showcase women in a non-apologetic and liberating way.
- Emily Rose Clarke, 20, is studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts at RMIT and majoring in ceramics. “I like doing things with my hands,” she said. “Whatever you make with ceramics is going to be there for a long time.” Her work is inspired by her travels in India and symbolises the sacred and spiritual elements of both humans and animals.
- Shelby Wilton, 20, is studying Visual Arts at RMIT. She is fascinated by acrylics on canvas as it helps her artwork look bold, sketchy and stand out. Shelby’s inspiration comes from observing her surroundings.
- Ella McKenzie’s art is inspired through conveying emotion using black and white lines with colour. The 18-year-old loves how expressive faces can be, and draws on her own feelings, which inspire her work.
For further information, contact Arts and Cultural Development on (03) 9433 33 3175 or email artsinfo@nillumbik.vic.gov.au.
-With Nillumbik Shire Council.
