Two new exhibitions at Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland, will showcase Australian culture from different perspectives, with one featuring iconic local island architecture and a second profiling traditional Japanese art techniques inspired by the Australian landscape and way of life.
Straddie Style: Redesigning the beach shack and Wabi Sabi: The beauty of impermanence will be on display from Sunday 23 August to Sunday 4 October 2015.
Redland City Council’s cultural spokesperson Cr Lance Hewlett said it was wonderful to see a fusion of international techniques and quintessential local design concurrently on display in the Redlands.
You may also like these stories
“Curated by Dr Robert Riddel and Stephanie Lindquist, Straddie Style: Redesigning the beach shack is an evocative exhibition that profiles the unique and distinctive history of beach houses on North Stradbroke Island,” he said.
“From the humble origins of the fibro beach shack in the 1930s to today’s contemporary beach architecture, the exhibition integrates models, photos, sketches and plans to illustrate how each building responds to the challenges of material and spatial constraints of an island location.
The exhibition and its publication feature twenty beach houses by leading Australian architects including Gabriel Poole, Chris Hills and Donovan Hill, among others, and is sponsored by Discover Stradbroke, with support from Dave Dwyer Video Productions.
“Wabi Sabi: The beauty of impermanence is an exhibition of work inspired by the Australian landscape and way of life and created with traditional Japanese techniques and processes, including floral arranging, shibori, woodblock printing, ceramics, irogane and tsumami zaiku.
“Held in conjunction with the Australian Shakuhachi Festival and featuring Australian and Japanese-Australian artists, the designs exhibited in Wabi Sabi push the boundaries of Japanese tradition, with each artist creating a unique style inspired by cross-cultural influence.”
Cr Hewlett said the exhibitions were a unique opportunity to see contrasting perspectives of Australian culture and encouraged everyone to visit the exhibitions.
To celebrate these exhibitions, an official opening will be held on Friday 21 August from 6pm, followed by a morning tea and floor talks on Sunday 23 August from 11.30am.
Join Straddie Style guest curator Dr Robert Riddel for a full day architectural tour of Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island, on Saturday 5 September to learn more about the history and architectural heritage of the island, as well as recent innovations in contemporary beach house design. The walking tour costs $80 from Cleveland or $65 from Point Lookout, including transport and lunch.
A Tsumami Zaiki: Kanzashi flower brooch making workshop with Wabi Sabi exhibiting artist Mabina Alaka will be held on Sunday 30 August, with participants creating their own brooch or hair pin using fabric sourced from Japan. The workshop costs $10 and advance bookings are required.
RSVP for the official opening by Wednesday 19 August or reserve a place in the walking tour or workshop by calling (07) 3829 8463 or emailing: [email protected]
Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland is located at the corner of Middle and Bloomfield Streets, Cleveland. Visit artgallery.redland.qld.gov.au for more information on this and other Redland Art Gallery exhibitions.
