Kent Street Gallery
Artist Spotlight
Q+A with some of our recent exhibiting artists – get to know a little more about their stories and their work.
Melanie Sharpman ‘Paper + Porcelain’
What inspired your current body of work?
Paper + Porcelain by Melanie Sharpham is an accumulation of paper etchings and porcelain vessels drawn, designed, etched and formed over the last 18 months.
The subject material derives from observational drawings of Western Australian Flora. A combination of natives blooming fleetingly in local gardens and special gems discovered on bush walks in South West forests. Each evoking joy and connection to this special and extremely unique place we live.
The ceramic forms are reminiscent of organic seed pods. Gathered together as expressive womanly forms and displayed as relationships between female family members and gatherings of trees in a forest. Depicting how we are connected to both family and place, belonging and loved.
Can you briefly describe what influenced you to exhibit at Kent Street Gallery?
For my first solo exhibition I had limited funds and gallery exposure. So I went looking for a gallery space that was affordable and allowed me to self curate etc. to help reduce costs.
Kent Street Gallery is in my neighbourhood which was convenient, but mainly important to me as it is part of my local community. I love old buildings, the jarrah floorboards and high ceiling and the size of the space was just right for my purposes.
Your printed ceramics have been well received at the exhibition, can you share what inspired the idea to use print technology with your ceramic practice?
Eucalypt Homewares, my ceramics label of 17 years, is inspired by Australian landscapes and flora. The ceramic forms, colour palette and printed surface decoration all relate to this overarching theme. My floral designs are commercially printed on ceramic paper transfers. I then use these to decorate my Floralware range of porcelain tableware.
Two years ago as both personal and professional development, I joined some local art centre courses to improve my drawing and expand my arts practice.
Within a few weeks of the copper plate etching course with Shana James, I had fallen in love with the process. I quickly realised I could use the artwork I created through etching to inform my ceramics works. There the seed of the idea for this exhibition was planted.
The ceramic pieces in the exhibition have the botanical illustrations silkscreened on paper then transferred to the clay. It’s quite the process!
What do you think is important for artists looking to consider having a solo exhibition to consider?
Firstly, have the courage to believe in yourself and your arts practice.
Allow yourself time to build up a body of work that is cohesive.
Have some professional photographs taken of your work. You can then use these to promote your work for the exhibition and future events.
Develop a great marketing plan. Invite everyone you know from all walks of your life. I had fliers made up and distributed them at local cafes and businesses and where I work. I gave them out to anyone I thought would be vaguely interested and had a digital copy to email and text people. I regularly posted updates and behind the scenes posts on social media.
Consider having an artist talk or demonstration. People love to hear about how you created your artwork.
(Photos by Claire McFerran from Gathering Light)
Artist’s website here.
Lea Taylor ‘My Littles 365 Project’
Can you briefly describe what My Littles is and why you committed to a one year daily project?
My Littles is what I call the small baskets I have been making for a number of years. I wanted to make a difference and felt making a real difference meant making a big commitment. I had been going through some very tough personal stuff over a long period and knew the power of weaving as a healing tool. I decided that by weaving every day I would get a little dose of medicine for my mental health, self care needs to be an every day long term thing. From that grew the idea of a Little a day for 365 days.
What is it about the Zonta House Refuge Association that inspired you to select them as the beneficiaries of your project?
I did a bit of research into a few organisations to find a beneficiary. I selected Zonta because they are not top heavy, they have a lot of volunteer and community based projects that impact the families directly. That was really important to me.
How many hours do you think you have spent on this project?
Oh gosh… in excess of 700 hours. 365 Littles at about one hour each, and equally as much time on administration, dying raffia, installing the exhibition, manning the exhibition and talking about the project to raise awareness. I want to sell all 365 Littles so that meant I had to put in the hard work.
What made you choose to work with Victoria Park Centre for the Arts to work with on the presentation of the outcomes?
I have had a relationship with VPCA for a few years now. Firstly through my first solo exhibition in the galleries inaugural NAIDOC exhibition in 2020. I love that they are a hugely community focused organisation. It made sense to me to work with them because my project is community focused. Family and Domestic violence is a community problem. I should be tackled by community.
Lastly, do you think that it is important for artists to create community focused work?
That’s a hard one to answer. Artists are just every day people trying to make a living. We are no more obliged to create community initiatives than the local plumber. I do believe that if we have the capacity and willpower to create community focused work then we should. Art has given me a lot personally and I am now in a position to give back. Hence the motto I have for the ‘My Littles 365 Project’… make a difference because you can.
