The Craft of Identity
"The Craft of Identity" is an exhibition that aspires to a society that respects both cultural diversity and individual uniqueness. The exhibition highlights the works of artists who have discovered individualistic and unique craft techniques based on traditional craft methods. Curator Elaine Kim aims to convey the artisanship and inner values that each artist demonstrates in their own unique ways. The selected artists reinterpret cultural significance and contemporary applicability of craft in their own definitions, utilizing a variety of materials and techniques that encompass both tradition and modernity.
In this exhibition, you can explore how artists shape their personal identities by their distinctive choice in craft techniques. The works reflect each artist's distinctive experiences and backgrounds, embedding the profound meaning of self-expression beyond mere handicrafts production. This opens a new perspective on craft and provides an opportunity for viewers to reconsider its value and importance once again.
Echoes Of Renewal
Delve into the elegance of decay as it intertwines with the promise of renewal. "Echoes of Renewal" prompts contemplation on the cyclical nature of our existence.
In this exhibition, curated by Saywell Gallery, textile artists Michelle Kistima-Menser and Lynn Pavey delve deep into the dichotomy of decay and rebirth. Their work explores deterioration, death and triumphant renewal … A narrative that transcends the temporal and embraces the profound.
Through intricate weaves, rich textures, disrupted patterns and a palette both muted and vibrant, each artist responds eloquently to a theme so poignant to our current era.
Through the artists' lenses, decay becomes an emotional reminder of impermanence, while renewal emerges as a beacon of hope and transformation. “Echoes Of Renewal” challenges viewers to find beauty not just in pristine perfection, but also in the raw, the weathered, and the reborn.
RETRO
The RETRO exhibition features a diverse group of artists who will explore past moments through various media, offering unique perspectives on personal and shared memories. This exhibition not only highlights individual recollections but also invites visitors to reflect on our collective memories.
In Bloom
18 May - 2 June 2024
Friday - Sunday, 11.30 am - 5 pm
Opening Event: 18 May 2024 from 2 pm - 4.30 pm
“In Bloom" merges the timeless beauty of flowers with the boundless creativity of artistic expression. Artists from diverse backgrounds interpret, celebrate, and imagine the enchanting blossoms in their artworks. Each art piece on display offers a unique perspective on the intricate beauty of flowers through colour, composition and texture.
Cool Dirt
We are excited to share our upcoming exhibition featuring Gymea TAFE students. The exhibition will take place from 30 November to 10 December 2023 at Saywell Gallery. This grad show will showcase both diploma and advanced diploma students. This grad show provides an opportunity for emerging artists based in Sydney to present their concept-based body of work, representing several years of study at TAFE Ceramics Design Studio in Gymea.
The exhibition's opening night is on November 30th from 5 to 8 pm.
Form
The theme of "Form" underscores the profound investigation into aesthetic experiences and the exploration of aesthetic principles through the intricate and diverse realm of form. Within the domain of art, 'form' pertains to the external appearance and visual facets of an artwork. It becomes perceptible through the spatial and physical attributes of the piece, manifesting as its visible shape, structure, and overall presentation to the observer. This encompasses how the constituent elements of an artwork with form are interconnected, arranged, alongside their utilisation of space.
'Form' encapsulates the essential visual characteristics of an artwork, accentuating and amplifying the message or emotions that the artwork intends to convey. Artists employ various techniques to manipulate form, enabling them to express and probe the meaning and aesthetic significance of their creations. Thus, form emerges as a fundamental concept in comprehending and interpreting art.
Within this exhibition, a diverse array of artists embarks on philosophical journeys, contemplating various facets of form and aesthetics through their artistic works. Artists frequently employ abstract forms and structures to delve into the essence of form itself, sparking discussions on aesthetic value and the nature of art. Additionally, the exhibited artworks delve into the interplay between nature and humanity, space, and time, offering an exploration of the intricate connection between art and human philosophy.
- Curator, Elaine Kim
Blue Surpasses Dimension
The "Blue Surpasses Dimension" exhibition aims to delve deeper into the philosophical and emotional significance of the colour blue, exploring its connections to the human experience, nature, spirituality, and the infinite. Through a collection of artworks, this exhibition grants visitors an expanded perspective on the boundless possibilities, profound emotions, and multi-dimensional connotations associated with blue.
That Place!
Join us at the gallery during That Place!
Architectural exteriors that compel is the theme for ‘That Place!’. A group exhibition of selected works in its second iteration, held during the Inner West Council’s EDGE Creative Trails weekend.
Opening night Thursday 10 Aug, 5 - 8pm
That Place!
Familiar facades. Cherished neighbourhood exteriors. Quaint cottage frontages and worn out, dishevelled eyesores. Modern urban edifices. Seaside shacks
Architectural exteriors that compel in some way is the theme for That Place!, a group exhibition of selected works by 9 of Sydney’s emerging artists.
Exhibition Preview Days - Wed 10 & Thu 11 August. Guided exhibition tours by appointment. Email saywellgallery@gmail.com to make your appointment and get first pick of the artworks.
Opening Celebration - Fri 12 August, 5 - 8pm
PROGRAM Of Artist Talks & Demonstrations
Thu 11 Aug, 2 - 5pm - Phil McKay will be onsite to meet with you and discuss his work
Fri 12 Aug, 2 - 5pm - Meet Kathy Wesson, onsite who will welcome you and will give informal talks about her work
Sat 13 Aug, 11am - 12pm - Jenny Rix will be in conversation with the public and give insites into her photography work featured in the exhibition. Part of Inner West Council’s Creative Trails program
Sat 13 Aug, 1 - 5pm - Frankie Nankivell, meet the artist who will be giving an informal painting demonstration. Held as part of Inner West Council’s Creative Trails program
Sun 14 Aug, 11am - 2pm - Einar Johansen will discuss his work and his technique. Part of Inner West Council’s Creative Trails program
Sun 14 Aug, 2 - 5pm - N.G. Malla will be onsite to field questions from the public. Part of Inner West Council’s Creative Trails program
Thu 18 Aug, 2 - 5pm - Alex Snellgrove, meet the artist who will be giving informal talk about her work
Fri 19 Aug, 2 - 5pm - Maggie Stein, will be onsite to chat about her printmaking techniques
Sun 21 Aug, 2 - 5pm - N.G. Malla returns for the closing afternoon of the exhibition. Last chance to meet the artist onsite
Woven By Nature
Woven By Nature is a group exhibition curated by the gallery. It aims to draw together collective and current experiences of the woven form.
Artists working in both traditional and contemporary woven techniques that utilise natural and found materials are invited to submit 1 to 3 recent works.
Please join us for the opening celebration on Wednesday 15 June, 5 - 8pm.
The exhibition is then open until 5pm, Sunday 26 June 2022.
Daily Rhythms - Curated by Elaine Kim
LAST DAY - Sunday 5 June, 11am - 4pm
Everyone lives in art. The eyes for recognizing the beauty, specialty and the heart to feel it are different for each person. Every act of life is art and this world is a huge exhibition hall.
What do we look for when we look at artworks? From an aesthetic point of view, is it the visual elements such as colour or composition that we feel drawn to, or are we trying to see from the artist's standpoint? There are many different ways to appreciate art. You can look at colour or composition from an aesthetic point of view, or you can find features from the artist's standpoint.
The way the works are presented to the audience in this exhibition is in connection with everyday life. No matter how profound a work of art might be, its origins come from the most mundane and ordinary lives around us. When the artist's 'everyday life' is not questioned, art without 'everyday life' always appears as an unfamiliar and authoritative object to the audience. Sometimes we can feel alienated from the works of art that we are unable to engage with and they might appear as unfamiliar and even authoritative objects to the audience.
This exhibition attempts to grapple with these issues by celebrating the works that bring to light the simple yet central truth that a broader audience can relate to. It is preoccupied with artworks that reflect on everyday life. Each artwork in this exhibition conveys the artists’ sensibility, their ability to ponder simple things that everyday life is made of. No matter the messages or issues the artists are trying to communicate, they all derive their impulse for making from the context of everyday life.
This exhibition shows the spectators that art is no longer the noble and difficult possession of professional artists and that art is a part of our daily life. The purpose of this exhibition is to blur the boundaries between a routine existence and art so that everyday life becomes art and communicates with the audience through art. Our daily life is not separated from art. Based on this opportunity, it is expected that the audience will be able to approach them without burden through everyday art and further enjoy the expanded cultural arts.
Walter J. Kenyon - Why Must I Die?
William F. Buckley Jnr Interviewing A Dead Soldier, 2022, Acrylic On Canvas