Artist talk: Thursday 19th May, 6 – 7pm followed by light refreshments

Jacky Cheng, a visual artist from Broome, WA and Soula Veyradier, Program Director from SPACED will be presenting an engaging artist talk about the thematic residency Rural Utopia along with Jacky’s practice and her presence in Margaret River.

Light refreshments will be provided after the talk with a chance to mingle with the presenters. All welcome. The library is an easily accessible venue. Please RSVP your attendance to amrlibrary@amrshire.wa.gov.au or Ph: 9780 5600.

Artist in Residence: Jacky Cheng

Jacky with Margaret River’s local host producer, Francesco Geronazzo from Margaret River Printmaking Studio has started engaging with some community members in local conversations through their workshop delivery on the making of Orizome, a Japanese fold and dye paper art. This collaborative effort between Jacky and the community not only enables skill-sharing but also evokes fascinating interrelationship of social connections between Broome and Margaret River. The Orizome is in the progress of becoming a community ‘Paper Patchwork Blanket’.

About SPACED

Spaced commissions context-responsive and socially engaged art projects across the whole of Western Australia and beyond. Our programs are grounded in artistic practices that explore everyday life issues and histories through a dialogue with diverse social groups. Through our programs, we create diverse and challenging experiences for artists and communities through contemporary visual art. For over 20 years, our organisation has been delivering programs that build connections between contemporary art and non‐specialist audiences, especially, but not exclusively, in regional and remote communities. The art projects we commission as part of these programs emerge from residencies that enable artists to engage with specific social, environmental, and historical contexts.

Rural Utopia

Rural Utopias is a program of residencies and exhibitions in rural and remote Western Australia. Artists are developing new works alongside their host communities, responding to new social, environmental, and historical contexts

Workshop dates: 11th and 18th May, 1pm – 4.30pm

Venue: Margaret River Community Resource Centre

Cost: It’s free!

Jacky Cheng’s work is fundamentally about identity and awareness through cultural activities and memories of home; country and relationships. Her significant concern and deep interests are about correlating and weaving narratives from her native experiences whilst mapping the esoteric and social relationships of her origins and her new found home, environment, and social surroundings. Her previous art residency in Awagami Factory, Japan taught her more in depth about the importance of relationships with heritage, culture and identity.

She is interested in the dynamics of community engagement through Orizome – the art of folding and dyeing papers revealing individualistic geometrical patterns. Her viewpoint on community is about acknowledging the diversities and unique qualities within the Margaret River community and the wider social fabric. The dip-dyed geometrical patterns will reveal individual expressions, as no one piece will be identical, much like a thumbprint is unique and personal. These pieces will hopefully be part of a community project outcome.

Jacky will be holding an information evening at the Margaret River Library on Thursday 19th May, 6 – 7pm followed by light refreshments. She will talk about her art journey and what she is trying to achieve by participating in an artist in residence program in Margaret River. All welcome.

Frequently Asked Questions What is Orizome?

Ori = Folding, Zome = dyeing

Orizome is an age-old Japanese papercraft that combines the art of ‘origami’ which is paper folding and coloured pigment dip-dyeing to create beautiful geometrical shapes.

Age group

All are welcome to attend. Children should always have their parent or guardian to accompany them. This activity requires some dexterity to folding dry paper and unfolding damp paper.

Booking

No bookings necessary. Just turn up and participate.

Accessibility

Workshop is for all various abilities.

Dye

The mediums used will stain clothing and hands if gloves are not worn. Disposable gloves will be provided.

Food

No food should be consume during this activity to avoid cross contamination of dye and food.

COVID precaution

Let’s look after each other. Please follow national health guidelines and stay home if you are not feeling well.

What’s Next?

Jacky will be holding an information evening at the Margaret River Library on Thursday 19th May, 6 – 7pm followed by light refreshments. She will talk about her art journey and what she is trying to achieve by participating in an artist in residence program in Margaret River. All welcome.

‘Art of Ealain’ : Original art and illustrations by Clare Hamilton

3^rd May – 30^th June

Clare’s love and intrigue of painting started as a young girl when she was introduced to the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a Scottish architect, designer and watercolourist. His artistic approach had much in common with European Symbolism and was influential in the European design movements such as Art Nouveau. His work is simple in design yet intricate and enthralling.

Watercolour is her medium of choice and a bit of an old favourite. She also goes through phases of using acrylics and ink line drawing. Her paintings take inspiration from nature melding familiar objects and organic patterns. She uses a combination of things seen, remembered or imagined. Her style is illustrative in nature whilst also evoking symbolism through her subject matter.

More recently Clare has been focusing on flora and fauna, however, she is equally inspired by a number of drawing subjects whether they are life drawing, landscapes, abstracts and more. Clare is one of the permanent artists at the Margaret River Artisan Store, where along with her original work, she sells other products with her unique artwork prints.

Clare’s business ‘Art of Ealain’ is a name honouring her Scottish roots. The word Ealain is Scottish Gaelic pronounced ‘ya-lain’ meaning to be creative, an acquired craft or skill.

The exhibition continues in the Cocoon Gallery for Emerging Artists until the end of June. Artworks are for sale so take your time when you enter the library and have a browse.