Happy Australian, 2023
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
10 MAR - 18 JUN 2023
Happy Australian is a series of ten ceramic portraits inspired by people who designed their ultimate ‘Australian Eleganza Extravaganza’ outfit for the happiest occasion of their lives.
I am interested in how clothing shapes identity and affects the way we feel. By asking people to imagine their ideal outfit, I invited them to share deeply personal stories about happiness and important moments in their lives.
I incorporated elements from their designs and stories into each portrait, combining their experiences with my own interpretation and imagination.
WE (Western and Eastern) 2022 Inspired by Clarine Wilmar’s submission ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 44 / W 34 / D 16 cm
Free As A Bird 2022 Inspired by Ching Liang’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 42 / W 22 / D 14 cm
Urban Hippie at Byron Kombi 2022 Inspired by Sam Harlow-Black’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 46 / W 23 / D 19 cm
Gold And Green Warrior 2022 Inspired by Bo Hu’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 43 / W 22 / D 14 cm
Log Distant Love 2022 Inspired by Cass Purdon’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 40 / W 20 / D 14 cm
Climate Change Bug Ball 2022 Inspired by Linden Dean’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 56 / W 33 / D 15
Gum Tree Queen 2022 Inspired by Nakarin Jaikla’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 44 / W 37 / D 19 cm
My Favourite Things 2022 Inspired by Georgia de Wet’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 40 / W 20 / D 14
The Dream Dress 2022 Inspired by Greer Townshend’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 46 / W 26 / D 18
Elderflower 2022 Inspired by Jude Worters’s submission Ceramic, glaze and gold lustre H 48 / W 29 / D 16