Cultural canvas on show
Marsden-based artist Nadya Wilson uses art to bridge the gap between her diverse identities.
The 23-year-old, who has an Australian-Malaysian background, was the winner of the 2024 Robyn Daw Young Visual Artist Scholarship – $7000 cash and a private mentorship session.
She said her winning piece, ‘for all your words my tongue fails to hold’, was inspired by her mother’s Javanese ancestry.
Ms. Wilson was among eight local artists, aged between 18 and 30, whose artistic practices are influenced by their cultural backgrounds.
They were shortlisted to participate in a four-day professional development and workshop program.
Scholarship finalists Sherry Ghorbani and Laura Pittam received a special mention for their “artistic merit and engagement in the program”.
The new program honours the late Robyn Daw, a former Logan City Council employee who led the Creative Industries Program from 2012 until her passing in January 2022.
Mayor Jon Raven said it was a fitting tribute to Ms Daw.
“Ms Daw championed young, multicultural artists in the city and enjoyed working with them,” Cr Raven said.
“With thanks to her tireless work in our city’s creative industries, we congratulate Nadya on being chosen as the program’s inaugural recipient.”
The works of all finalists are now on display at the Logan Art Gallery.
Four new exhibitions, including ‘Postcards from Iran – Zan Zendegi Azadi’ by Waterford West artist Sheida Vazir-Zadeh, are also on display.
Ms Vazir Zadeh’s exhibition was a collaborative effort with Iran-based artist Atousa Manafi.
Their works include a series of photographs and videos depicting “everyday gender discrimination experienced by three generations of Iranian women”.
The three other exhibitions are:
- ‘Dodging Chainsaws’ by Martin Smith, featuring works showcasing both photos and text he has created over the past 20 years.
- ‘Simorgh (Phoenix)’ – The Mythical Legendary Bird by Razia Ghazal, which tells the stories of love, pain, hope, nostalgia, migration and culture of people she has crossed paths with.
- ‘Lay of the Land’ by Ann Huthwaite, which explores natural landscapes based on the artist’s personal journey through life.
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