Vipoo Srivilasa — Support Materials for
Creative Australia Fellowship Application
Community Engagement Projects
Fan, 2016
Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne
“Fan” explores the world of collecting and fandom through a playful fusion of art and sport.
Curious about what drives collectors, I held clay workshops with art and sports memorabilia collectors. These sessions sparked rich conversations, revealing a shared language of passion across both worlds.
The resulting sculptures pair iconic artworks with famous athletes—for example, Rodin’s The Thinker becomes swimmer Ian Thorpe, and Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog transforms into tennis player Lleyton Hewitt mid-'C'mon' pose. Other mashups include Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly with Cathy Freeman, and Ai Weiwei’s sunflower seeds with AFL’s Levi Casboult.
Each piece is surrounded by blue and white porcelain flowers, inscribed with quotes from the workshops—capturing the devotion and joy that unite all collectors.
Wellness Deity, 2021
Linden New Art, Melbounre
Glazed porcelain. Dimension various - approximately H 30 CM
During Melbourne’s lockdown in 2020–2021, I invited people to imagine and draw a deity character with a protective divine power to combat the effects of the virus, fostering wellness.
Nineteen of these imaginative deities became the inspiration for my ceramic sculptures, each uniquely shaped by the personal stories shared.
To further bring the project to life, I commissioned creative writings from fellow artists to accompany each sculpture, capturing the emotions and experiences of this unprecedented time.
Shrine of Life / Benjapakee Shrine , 2021
APT10, QAGOMA, Brisbane
Glaze ceramic with gold luster and mixed media. Installation, dimension varies.
In Shrine of Life, I acknowledge my identity while building on the audience-oriented nature of my previous pieces. I created five contemporary deities to represent qualities important to me: identity, love, equality, spirituality, creativity, and security.
Visitors are invited to make a paper flower offering to one of the deities in order to request blessings and protection.
Happy Australian, 2023
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Glazed ceramic. Dimension various - approximately H 40 CM .
Happy Australian is a series of ten ceramic portraits inspired by selected submissions of people designing their most ‘Australian Eleganza Extravaganza outfit’ to wear on the happiest occasion of their life.
What we wear can create our identity. The clothes we put on affect our mood and wearing your best outfit sure creates happiness. By asking people to design fashion, it makes it easy for them to tell their story. The stories I received were really deep and personal. I incorporated elements into the portraits based on their design and story, but also included my own interpretation, imagination and story into the works..
Marvellous Mythical Mates: A Menagerie of Dream Pets, 2024
Counihan Gallery, Victoria
Marvellous Mythical Mates, invites children to explore the theme of belonging through imagination and creativity.
The exhibition encourages young participants to design their own mythical dream pets, inspired by the unique sounds, smells, and textures of Merri-bek. As new pets are added daily, the gallery transforms into a vibrant, evolving habitat celebrating creativity and connection.
The exhibition also features interactive elements, engaging the senses of smell, touch, and sound, including a meditation station accompanied by the soothing purr of a cat.
re/JOY 2024
Australian Design Center, Sydney
Glazed ceramic, terracotta and gold luster / approximately H 150 cm
re/JOY explore the emotional connections we have with objects and how they shape our migration stories. Drawing from my own experience of moving from Thailand to Australia, I invited overseas-born Australians to submit damaged ceramic objects that held personal significance. Through these pieces, I created large-scale sculptures that transform their stories of loss, resilience, and adaptation into a visual narrative.
re/JOY aims to honor these personal journeys while reflecting on the beauty found in imperfection and the strength in rebuilding.
Ceramic Sculptures
Elarat / Ela, 2021 (front and back view)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Glaze ceramic with gold luster. Dimension H 160 x W 60 x D 37 CM
The work represents the spirit of Elarat, a sexually fluid character from 130-year-old Thai literature, whose gender changes monthly between male (Elarat) and female (Ela). Elarat is part of the Ramayana epic.
Adorned with Dungowan Bush Tomato flowers (a gender-fluid Australian plant) and holding Australian Jacks Plant flowers (which change gender annually).
This piece explores themes of sexuality and gender fluidity.
Always Better Together, 2022
Glazed ceramic and gold luster. Dimension H 58 x W 27 x D 15 CM
As an artist based in Melbourne, which endured one of the world’s longest and toughest Covid-19 lockdowns, I experienced firsthand the absence of close companionship with friends and family.
Developed post-pandemic, Always Better Together reflects my realisation that, while some have pushed the effects of social isolation to the back of their minds, for others, the lockdown continues to have a lasting emotional impact.
This series expresses my belief that life is best experienced with the support of loved ones, highlighting the importance of togetherness and the value of human connection in navigating life’s challenges.
My Sunshine Doesn't Come From The Sky 2022
Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
During Melbourne's extended lockdowns and quarantine restrictions, I began noticing everyday things I’d usually overlook. With professional opportunities on hold, I became more mindful of beauty in the simple moments and found joy in nurturing and watching things grow.
Shifting my creative focus to my domestic environment—spending time with my two cats, tending to my garden, and cooking traditional Thai meals—helped ease the loneliness and homesickness. I realised that warmth and joy don’t come from the sky like sunshine, but from gratitude for the often-overlooked details of life. My Sunshine Doesn’t Come from the Sky celebrates this mindful shift in perspective
The Diverse Dominion Deities, 2023
Geelong Art Gallery. Victoria
Found ceramic, handmade porcelain and mixed media. Dimension various - tallest H 45 CM
Diverse Dominion Deities explores the fragility of diversity in Australia through four mythical creatures representing cultural, racial, gender, and cognitive diversity.
The piece combines mass-produced ceramic animals, adorned with my handmade porcelain flowers, and blue deities crafted from air-dry clay. This mix of materials symbolizes the diverse world of clay, serving as an allegory for cultural diversity.
By embellishing the animals with flowers, I transform their original form, meaning, and function—reflecting how the merging of cultures creates new identities and perceptions.