Conversations II - Art Exhibition Catalogue 2024, Artworks of Western Australian Artists
I initiated the Conversations project to nourish the local art community, foster connections between artists, stimulate creativity and pay tribute to the rich history, culture and natural beauty of our neighborhood.
Bringing together artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and artistic practices, the project facilitated meaningful discussions about our heritage, community, and experiences. It became evident that each of us „arrived” in Perth from different cultures bringing with us our unique traditions and life stories.
Despite our varied backgrounds, we converged at the Inglewood Arts Hub to create and celebrate our neighbourhood’s heritage and culture, supporting the development of a vibrant artistic community. Through collaboration and friendship, we formed a unique community of artists spanning various disciplines, including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, and textile art. We learned from each other, inspired each other, and challenged each other to grow. In the inaugural edition of our project, we embarked on a reflective journey, exploring Inglewood’s evolution over time and paying homage to its history. In the second edition, our focus shifted towards capturing portraits of our local community, nature, architecture, and suburban life.
The Conversations exhibition serves as a reflection of our heritage, experiences, aspirations, and collective needs. As we create and live on this land, we do so with reverence for its cultural legacy and natural beauty. Through our artworks, we share our personal perspectives, weaving together a reach cultural mosaic.
This exhibition is a tribute to the deep bonds we have established with our environment, infusing it with the essence of our creativity and spirit.
Aartists involved in the project include Anita Grewal, Desiree Crossing, Eimear Flynn, Graham Hay, Heidi Kellner-Marshall, Iwona Van Niekerk, Jane Marron, Jeana Castelli, Jillian Ciemitis, Jodie Holwill, Kamila Waleszkiewicz, Kelly Ha, Louise Wells, Lyn Williamson, Patrycja Giemza, Peter Campagna, Peter Ciemitis, Sue Hibbert, Sue Mader, and Tony Wilde.
Based on the feedback I received from the artists involved in the project, I created a short poem depicting our emotions, thoughts and spirit. I kindly invite you to read the poem and visit our exhibition, which will be held from April 24 to May 9, 2024.
Mindful Conversations In Collaboration
Stuck in a rut
Down in the dump of isolation
Not able
Trying
Trying to make art
They call
A tapestry of like-minded people
It challenges me to think
New route of creative thinking - where does it take me?
Focus
The deadline is coming
Reinvigorated in response, engaged
I share my passion
New ideas in creative space
Foster synergy
The frisson of expose
The warming neighbourhood
I overcome the greatest fear
I step outside my comfort zone
I step outside my isolation
Let’s go
Let’s go into exploration
Project Coordinator Kamila Waleszkiewicz
Anita Grewal
instagram: anita.grewal
Desiree Crossing
iInstagram: desireecrossing
facebook: desireecrossingartist
Website: www.desireecrossing.com.au
Born in London and raised in India from the age of nine, Anita started her professional life as a mathematics school teacher. She spent twelve years teaching in Delhi (India), Hastings (UK), Bogota (Colombia), New York (USA) and Munich (Germany) and moved permenantly to Australia in 2005 determined to try something different. After teaching English as a foreign language in Perth, donning hard hat and steel capped boots in the Pilbara and training forensic scientists in Canberra, she found herself back in education but this time as a student not a teacher. She completed a Diploma of Visual Arts from the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and followed that with a Bachelor’s in Visual Arts majoring in Photomedia from The Australian National University (ANU) in 2017. Moving back to Perth in 2018, she is currently exploring the pleasures of abstract photography focusing on colour, form and composition.
Desiree Crossing (b.1981) is an Australian contemporary painter, based in Perth, Western Australia. Specialising in portraiture, Desiree’s sumptuous oil paintings speak to classical painting traditions, whilst embodying an unmistakably modern spirit. Crossing studied Fine Arts at Edith Cowan University, Central TAFE, and Set and Costume Design at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Crossing designed for independent film and theatre for many years, notably creating immersive theatre experiences. This passion for crafting narratives remains a driving force that carries into her current body of work. Crossing has undertaken two artist residencies in Italy, and was AiR at Santa Maria College, 2023. She has been a finalist in many prestigious art awards including the ARC Salon, Portia Geach Memorial Award, Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés and was recipient of the People’s Choice Award at the 2021 Lester Prize. Crossing exhibits regularly in Australia and abroad, her work is held in private and government collections.
Photo: Marco Corinaldesi
Photo: Artist’s courtesy
Eimear Flynn
instagram: kitslaneart
Facebook: imear.flynn.9
Graham Hay
instagram: grahamhayart www.grahamhay.com.au
Ever since I was six years old and won an art competition on Irish national radio station, no less, I’ve been hooked on making art. I had a very encouraging teacher in my secondary school years who also pushed me to put my art out there with some success. I continued with my art studies until I married and my family arrived. When they were fully settled in school I went back to work as a Bridal designer/dressmaker. This fulfilled my artistic bent and also gave me a love for exotic fabrics. A mark of success in that field came with winning “The Bridal Designer of the year in W.A. Fashion Awards 2007. When I retired I had no doubt that art would once again be my focus. I have been featured in a number of art award exhibitions. I have also done a number of commissions with my latest one ending up in a stately home in Ireland. I mostly work in Acrylics but also like drawing using various mediums such as graphite, ink pens, coloured pencil, and pastels.
Graham Hay has participated in 174 exhibitions across 16 countries, including seven biennales. A recipient of 20 grants and awards, his artwork is in public collections in eight countries, and features in 22 books. He is a graduate from the WA, Edith Cowan, and Curtin universities (the latter two majoring in ceramics and sculpture) and was admitted to the peak International Academy of Ceramics in 2019. Graham has led workshops across 14 countries, leading symposiums or conferences in Hungary, the US and Norway. He frequently writes on paper clay, art and technology, with over 40 articles published in nine countries. He collaborates with artists, academics, engineers and scientists; such as hacking a 3D printer or incorporate fungi in paper sculptures. His artwork is a response to the social foundations of his art practice. Hay's critical ethnography approach is political and andragogical; a contemplative studio led research which acknowledges its participatory and subjectivity bias. Graham teaches pottery and sculpture at the Farmer Street Studio and Inglewood Arts Hub.
Born in Germany I trained as an Art/Manual Art/ Language Teacher. She married an Australian Farmer & became involved in the local Arts & Craft Scene. Started teaching again and retired 3 years ago after 27 years of sharing her love for Art and Languages with many WA students. Volunteering took over and does dominate her life together with looking after the family in Australia and overseas. She likes to call herself "Jackie-of-all-trades" Master of none. Right now she focuses on Photography, Zen Tangling, and gardening.
Iwona Van Niekerk, an interior designer based in Perth, Western Australia, is currently expanding her skills through fine art studies at Curtin University. Her artistic journey, rooted in her Polish heritage and enriched by over a decade of experiences in London and Copenhagen, has significantly influenced her unique abstract art style. From an early age, fascinated by drawing 3D cubes, Iwona developed a keen interest in dimensions and perspectives. This passion is evident in her art, where she often incorporates square motifs, a signature element inspired by the labyrinth floor of the Sansevero Chapel in Italy. Working primarily with oil paints, she is currently focused on creating a body of work centered on the female form for an upcoming exhibition. Iwona's engagement with the artistic community has been recognised, with her being a three-time finalist and one-time award winner in the art world.
Photo: Louise Wells
Photo: Lily Van Niekerk
Jane Marron
instagram: jane.marron
Facebook: jane.marron1
Jane Marron spent her early years on a wheat and sheep farm in the Midwest of WA. As a Primary School Visual Art Specialist, she is privileged to guide young minds to inspire a sense of wonder and creativity in the world of art.
My artist journey began with the tactile world of ceramics where she produced wheel thrown pieces, but raku, saggar and wood fired work were where she found the most joy. Today she find excitement in the world of oil painting. She is drawn by the possibilities of colour and texture. Her work takes on an impressionistic style and is becoming more abstract as her journey evolves. She enjoy painting flora filled landscapes, expressive blooms, vibrant seascapes and more recently experimenting in simple portraiture.
Jeana Castelli
instagram: jeanacastelli
Represented by Gallery 360 in Leederville
I was born in the South West town of Donnybrook in 1950 to Italian immigrants. Art and the creative process have always been an integral part of my life. I have participated in exhibitions in Perth and the South West including three solo exhibitions in Bunbury and a collaborative exhibition at the Collie Regional Gallery. I have also been commissioned to do a number of works. My work has been published in the Sydney based national Art/Edit magazine and also invited to exhibit in the Agora Gallery in Chelsea NY. I am represented by Gallery 360 in Perth and Bluethumb Online. The Australian landscape is a great source of inspiration with its ruggedness and richness of colour and serenity. I enjoy experimenting with various techniques, and a variety of mediums. This gives me the freedom to create and look at the landscape from a new perspective encouraging the viewer to find their own mystery in my work.
Photo: Kash Photography
Photo: Jeana Castelli
Jillian Ciemitis
instagram: jillianciemitis
www.ciemitis.com
Jillian Ciemitis is a West Australian based artist whose work focuses on photography and printmaking, examining issues of identity and place. Holding a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts, in Visual Arts and Photomedia (Edith Cowan University), Jillian has won the WA Print Media Award in 2012, and has twice been a finalist in the Fremantle Art Centre Print Award.She has always been interested in the observational forms of art. Naturally, photography and drawing immediately lend themselves to documenting the observed world, which has evolved to encompass printmaking.Her interest in photography also extends in its application to other media, sometimes using photography as an art form, whilst other times as a source material for printmaking projects and public art in graphic concrete.Jillian has exhibited internationally including a collateral exhibition, part of the 2017 Venice Biennale, the 18th Asian Biennale in Bangladesh, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art and G20 Summit International Art Exhibition in Hangzhou, China.Her work is included in various permanent collections both Australia and overseas, from Edith Cowan University’s Art Collection, Perth WA, to Qianjang International Art Museum, China and various others.
Jodie Holwill is a Perth based artistic photographer who has enjoyed the art form since handed her first Kodak Instamatic black and white film camera at 6 years old, and it’s an interest that has translated to capturing images of people and parts of the world when travelling as an adult. She has had her work exhibited in combined exhibitions at Ellis House and Perth Centre of Photography. Jodie describes her style as finding her inspiration within the photograph once it has been taken so as to quickly capture the ever-changing world around her and tries to alter the original shot as little as possible. She is inspired by light, reflection, shape, structure, shadows, texture, and colour. Jodie is keen to capture emotion and the human element in her photographs.
Photo: Peter Ciemitis
Jodie Holwill
Photo: .Jodie Holwill
Kamila Waleszkiewicz
instagram: kamila_wn_art
linkedin: kamilawaleszkiewicz
Kamila Waleszkiewicz, a multifaceted creator, an author, illustrator, and independent publisher. Her Polish children books, including "Bajki dla dyslektyków" and "Niedźwiadek Kletnuś” „The Little Man who lived in the Tangerine”, reflect her dedication to children's literature. Beyond her written contributions, Kamila served also as a Polish language teacher in Perth, WA embodying her commitment to sharing knowledge. In leadership roles for cultural foundations, namely "Fundacja Akademia Młodych" and "Fundacja Mi Mamo", she has consistently advocated for community and culture. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art at Edith Cowan University and a Master's degree in Visual Art at Curtin University, Kamila quietly navigates the artistic realm. Her organisation of the Inglewood Arts Hub "Call & Response Project Conversations" underscores her commitment to facilitating artistic dialogue and collaboration.
Kelly Ha instagram: kelha.art www.kellyha.com
Kelly Ha is an illustrator from Perth, WA. She is fascinated by the natural and urban world, and her art explores how they interact. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Illustration and Photography) from Curtin University in 2012. After a few years of digital work, she returned to traditional mediums, mainly watercolour, gouache and oils. Inspired heavily by her interest in animation and graphic art, she approaches her work by incorporating knowledge and techniques from both digital and traditional spaces. Her main focus for the last few years has been graphic work on the Diatom Flora of Australia series with Dr Jacob John. During her residency in Inglewood Arts Hub, Kelly aims to produce a series of paintings that explore the streets of Inglewood. She will host community plein air sessions and provide an opportunity for members of the public to engage with art and discover the beauty of their surroundings in a new light.
Photo: Rudolf Nilsen
Photo: Jillian Ciemities
Louise Wells
instagram: louisewellsartist
facebook.com: LouiseWells
www.louisewells.com
Louise Wells is an artist living in Inglewood, Western Australia. Looking at the lost beauty in the ordinary is a major theme she explores, and this has led to a focus on working with recycled materials, mostly textiles. Her work is inspired by domestic life, family stories, observations on current events, and the environmental impacts of textile production. Over the past few years, the main focus of Louise’s work has been in her local community, taking inspiration from her observations of the small often overlooked and often delightful elements on her daily walk around her suburb. Louise has exhibited in numerous group and jury selected exhibitions. She is a finalist in Bunbury Biennale 2023, International Fibre Art Australia 2023, Australia Wide 8 2022, twentyFIVE+ 2022, York Botanic Art Prize 2021, Collie Art Prize (CAP) and Australian Textile Award 2020. In 2019 her work was selected for Cultura Diffusa, Como Italy and Fiber Arts IX, California USA. She is a five times finalist in Wearable Art Mandurah, winning the Avant Garde category in 2017. Recent solo exhibitions include Of Our Time - Ordinary Lives 2018, Suburban Secrets 2021. Louise’s work is held
Lyn Williamson
instagram: lynwilliamsonartist
www: lynwilliamsonartist.com
I do not bind myself to any genre but have an eclectic eye, but not indiscriminate. My one goal is that the finished work reflects the subject matter. It can be a traditional painting or a completely break the rules print. Or vice versa. I love the versatility of oil paint and what I can do with it. I love the freedom that printmaking gives in using any method to produce a print. I have had both an academic and traditional path to art education. Starting a Bachelor of Visual and Fine Arts at Curtin University and finishing with a total of just under a year at SACI Florence, Italy, where traditional art skills in painting, drawing and printmaking were acquired. I have a great interest in colour and composition. On how it affects a reaction to art. I was on the board of Caloundra Arts Association (Sunshine Coast, Queensland). 2017-2020. The lead printmaker of Hardpressed Printmakers Caloundra 2017-2019. Conducted workshops from my studio and community studios while resident on the Sunshine Coast. I now reside in Perth Western Australia. I currently tutor children and adults. I love doing this; to impart knowledge and understanding of what creativity adds to life.
Photo: Josh Wells
Photo: Artist’s courtesy
Patrycja Giemza
nstagram:patrycja_giemza_my_art_diary
Peter Campagna
instagram: peter.campagna.54
Patrycja Giemza is an artist living in Yokine, Perth, WA, with her partner and little daughter, although art is more of a hobby for her rather than a profession. She enjoyed engaging in local art projects in her hometown in Poland, exploring techniques such as gum bichromate, linocut, and etching. However, after moving to Australia and starting a family, her artistic pursuits were put on hold. Now, she is slowly rediscovering her artistic path once again.
Peter has a European background, his family settling in Inglewood in the late 50s with his father (Cesare) and his Grandfather (Nono) opening a shoe repair shop on Beaufort Street with the family residing in 7th Avenue. Peter grew up drawing his favourite footy stars and always had a vivid imagination, often was in trouble being told off for not not doing his chores (feeding and watering the chooks and collecting eggs) and not paying attention as his Mum in her later years kept reminding him that he always looked as if he was in dream lands. Peter has completed a degree at Edith Cowan university in 2008, and currently he is an artist in residence in Inglewood Arts Hub. Exhibitions: Edith Cowan University, 2008. Spectrum Art Space, 2007, Perth WA. Exhibition at Mia Cafe 2009, Perth WA. Exhibited A4 art gallery, Melbourne 2009. Exhibited, Ellis House, Perth WA 2011. xhibited at Moore’s ART Gallery, Fremantle, 2018. Exhibited and sold work at various Shire Art Awards, Western Australia. Run and manage and reach, Artitix Studios, Wembley 2014 to 2020. Recently sold artwork at Mt Lawley High School art auction.
Photo: Kamila Waleszkiewicz
Photo: Jillian Ciemities
Photo: Kelly Ha
Photo: Kelly Ha
Sue Mader
instagram: suemader.intheartlane
Tony Wilde instagram:
www.
As a Textile Artist, I mainly work with discarded and found materials, selected for their textural characteristics to use with hand stitch. Other textile techniques can be added if needed. My artmaking tells stories, often with historical content that embraces Australian ways and where the memory of the story often lies within the materials selected. I work in my garden studio in Inglewood and have exhibited my art both locally and nationally. I also enjoy facilitating community workshops.
Tony Wilde is a Perth based artist who works mainly in mixed media sculpture, spending time exploring, picking, and collecting new, used, and foreign materials for design. A principal theme in Tony’s work is the nature of the sea and its amazing creations. Manifestations of Fish and the eight-legged phenomenon are transformed into a new light. Following a recent bout of ill health, he now has more time to embrace a slower pace and immerse himself fully in his creative process. is more time to be slow and present in his process.
Photo: Kamila Waleszkiewicz
Photo: Susan Mader
Anita Grewal
Serendipity: Stained Glass Window
Reflecting on the theme of ‘Inglewood and surrounding suburbs’ I wandered around my Mount Lawley neighbourhood, soaking in the visual delights of federation style homes and gardens. I was struck by how many homes have coloured stained glass in their doors, mine included. At a certain time in the afternoon, when the sun shines just right, the light through the stained glass makes beautiful patterns in our hallway. Using this visual delight as my basis, I began my process. In a darkened room I open the shutter of my camera to capture the movement of constructions of colour and texture in front of the lens. Working blindly, the results are a surprise and I get deep pleasure in discovering the mysterious images that evoke a sense of both fragility and energy.
in response to Anita Grewal’s artwork Glimpses of Yesteryear
Anita's artwork was created through the lens of her camera. Her lively spontaneous colourful creation took on a visual feeling of light shining into homes through the stained-glass windows of the beautiful federation homes spread throughout Inglewood. My response to Anita’s art piece depicts a scene gazing out through the exquisite stained-glass windows of the federation home, transporting us back to a bygone era in Inglewood. The black and white image offers us an insight into the rich history of this charming suburb. The scene shows people going about their daily activities, catching the tram down Beaufort Street to the city for work, a vintage car transporting ladies to high tea, taking in a movie Matinee, or just a spot of shopping from the local businesses. The idea of the stained-glass window not only captures a historical view of Inglewood but serves as a reminder to us of the importance of preserving our past for future generations.
Pigment print on Ilford Gold Cotton Paper, 48.3 cm (H) x 32.9 cm (W)
Photo: Anita Grewal
Photos: Jillian Ciemities
Eimear Flynn
Banksia
I have been inspired by the beauty of my surroundings in my adopted land. The flora and vegetation in W.A. never cease to amaze me. It is so unique. This banksia plant is on the edge of the Yokine Play Space in Yokine Reserve and gives me great joy on my daily walk.
Jeana Castelli in response to Eimear Flynn’s artwork
In my response to Eimear’s banksia flowers, I wanted to relate to the area of Inglewood in some way. Eimear’s three beautiful banksia flowers are in full bloom with my three depicting their life cycle. Each is placed in juxtaposition with the iconic Inglewood clock tower depicting the early morning light with the emerging flower not yet in full bloom, the flower in full bloom with the day at its peak and the final frame the flower coming to its end of life against the fading light on the clock tower.
Acrylic on canvas
50 cm (H) x 60 cm (W) x 2.5cm (D)
Photo: Eimear Flynn
Transition
Acrylic on canvas, 61 cm (H) x 61 cm (W)
Photos: Jeana Castelli
Graham Hay
Poetic space
During weekly walks for a Sunday coffee on Beaufort Street, I am drawn to many original houses along 9th and 10th Avenue with decoratively patterned leaded glass windows (as opposed to the overly coloured stained glass in Mt Lawley and Subiaco). The patterns and use of glass textures in Inglewood are more subtle, with small, artistic differences house to house, window to window. Perhaps inspired by ‘The Poetics of Space’ by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, I imagined and attempted to create an internal space, a portrait of the houses from within. A hypothetical collective internal space into which is projected four creative interpretations of selected leadlight patterns. The result: leadlight inspired images cast in light, projected into the space within the sculpture, onto the actual gallery wall behind the work.
Jillian Ciemitis in response to Graham Hay’s artwork
Full Moon Reflections
My artwork ‘Full Moon Reflections’ is photographed through a facet of a lead light window, capturing interior and exterior spaces, through reflections. I’m interested in the barrier between interior and exterior spaces when looking through the window, and the metaphoric parallels this raises despite seeming like a connector or a link. The window creates division between two spaces. Where does one really begin and end? Does it merge the two spaces to one space, and what of the space between?
Gaston Bachelard, in his book ‘Poetics of Space’ writes about dialectics of outside and inside. Bachelard raises the possibility of an interior not really being an interior, but rather being a buffer between the external world and our genuine interior, our psyche.
Ceramic earthenware paper clay, LED, 30 cm (H) x 24 cm (W) x 8 cm (D)
Photo: Graham Hay
Photos: Jillian Ciemities
Heidi Kellner-Marshall
Reclaimimg the void
Volunteering has been a big part of my life for many years now - and for the last 3 years my main focus has been on the West Australian Museum Boola Bardip: and this is where I was introduced to the initiative. The project is a collaboration between a creative director and the Ngalia Heritage esearch Council. It is about walking forward together in an act of healing, caring for country and community engagement. The final Artwork will be brought to life on the country for which it was created: a symbol of hope and healing. WAM offered workshops and this is where my interest was born. Many completed hoops later we are working towards a bold and culturally significant Australian story, aligned to the Museums commitment to exploring issues of identity and place (CEO WAM).
Pizza Box Portrait - á la Warhol is in response to Heidi Kellner-Marshall’s piece for the Reclaim the Void Project. Reclaim the Void www.reclaimthevoid.com.au is an initiative to symbolically “seal” one of the gaping mining holes left all over the country with an artwork made from thousands of handmade circular rag-rugs woven from discarded fabric. Responding to the themes of fixing, repairing, covering, and multiple elements, I looked for ways to fill the void, or cover holes in my local community. I came to the idea of fixing the far less than perfect lino prints I had made for The Pizza Box Portrait. My son has Down Syndrome and we have had a very difficult time of recent years. At the time of making this work he had received three additional diagnoses. Thankfully, medication immediately helped, and we got our son back; the cheeky, fun chap that he is. I painted, machine and hand stitched and collaged them, then wove the portraits together to show the many quirky sides of the lad.
Weaving hoops for Leonora project, Circle, ca. 50 cm
Photo: Jillian Ciemities
Louise Wells in response to Heidi Kellner-Marshall’s artwork
Pizza Box Portrait –á la Warhol
Photos: Josh Wells Photography
Iwona Van Niekerk
Fragmented Life - A Resilient Journey
In this portrait, I aimed to capture my brother-in- law's indomitable strength as he battles Parkinson. Each square represents a fragment of his extraordinary journey. For 14 years, he has faced life-altering challenges, like the scattered pieces of my composition. Despite the pain, driven by love for his family, he strives to hold it all together. Each brushstroke conveys his profound struggle and unwavering resilience. His love for his children radiates brightly, reminding us of the power of hope. Inspired by his courage and admiring his unwavering determination, I chose to portray my brother-in-law as a testament to his unbreakable spirit.
Anita Grewal in response to Iwona Van Niekerk ’s artwork Courage is grace under pressure
Iwona spoke about her brother-in-law with admiration. Despite his ongoing illness, he is always there for his family. I was struck by how courageous he must be to face difficulties every day and still have the energy and determination to overcome them. It reminded me of Hemingway’s quote ‘Courage is grace under pressure’ and I wondered how I could represent that in a visual way. Iwona used small squarish grids to make up the portrait. I was drawn to this pixilated approach. It made me think about geometric shapes and structure and I remembered that the triangle is the strongest and most stable shape. Any weight placed on any side of a triangle is evenly distributed on all three sides. The triangular shape doesn’t break under pressure. Using a grid of painted triangles as my base, I opened the shutter of my camera to capture their movement and colour. I chose this image of swirling, interweaving triangles to represent my interpretation of courage as grace under pressure.
Acrylic on canvas, 84 cm (H) x 64 cm (W) x 5.5 cm (D)
Photo: Jillian Ciemities
Pigment print on Ilford
Photos: Anita Grewal
Jane Marron Jacaranda
My art piece was inspired by the enchanting beauty of Inglewood’s tree lined 7th and 8th avenues. The blooming jacaranda trees are a sign that Spring is approaching. Jacarandas form a breathtaking tunnel of purple in the hues of lilac, lavender and violet. The composition shows how humanity and nature can unite to create a harmonious world.
In response to Jane’s beautifully painted intense canopy of jacaranda flowers, I decided to choose a portrait of singular flowers, back lit by natural light. It represents how the small and delicate can be represented, but when added together, also result in a powerful image. I liked the background muted tones of this piece and the detail that emerged. As with most of my work the shot wasn’t planned, it was taken on a Sunday afternoon walk and with a mobile phone.
Acrylic on canvas, 30 cm (H) x 30 cm (W)
Photo: Jane Marron
Jodie Holwill in response to Jane Marron’s artwork Blossom
Colour Photography Matte finish White Matt board, Limited Edition 1/10, 55 cm (H) x 45 cm (W)
Photo: Jodie Holwill
Jeana Castelli
Coming Home
My connection with Inglewood seemed at first a distant one having only recently moved back to Perth and now living in Yokine. Then it dawned on me that my relationship with the area is longstanding and an intimate one. In the 1980’s we purchased a home in Drummond Street Bedford where we lived for five years. My painting depicts the changes that have taken place in that time until now, not only in the area, the people and in my own family. Even though prior to moving to Bunbury we had our home in Wembley and Wembley Downs, there is a sense of “coming home”.
Eimear Flynn in response to Jeana Castelli’s artwork
I responded to Jeana’s painting depicting her family’s transition from their heritage in Italy to their life in Australia. I viewed her work as stepping forward in life and leaving the past behind but not forgetting that life. In response to that I choose to feature Loughcrew in my painting. Loughcrew is a megalithic group of tombs from the fourth century. It is situated not far from where I was born in Ireland. During the Spring equinox people gather to greet the morning sunrise when, as it emerges shines right through a small passage to illuminate the rear of the megalithic tomb. People dance and sing to welcome the new beginning of growth in the earth and look forward to the year ahead with great expectation. I feel it also represents new beginnings and in that way is a response to Jeana’s painting.
Acrylic on canvas, 61 cm (H) x 61 cm (W)
Photo: Jeana Castelli
Loughcrew
Acrylic on canvas, 30 cm (H) x 40 cm (W)
Photo: Jillian Ciemities
Art’s Sacred Glow
Photography, 42 cm (H) x 29 cm (W)
This artwork responds to Kamila Waleszkiewicz’s painted portrait of me as the subject. In a responsive project, I photographed Kamila in my photo studio and we spent several hours together exploring creative ideas. In particular, I was interested in Kamila’s cultural background of Eastern Europe and wanted to reflect something of her story of where she was and where she is evolving as an artist now. I was inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites and the old Eastern European religious icon artworks. However, I chose to use a contemporary medium of photography and studio lighting which I used to light the subject in the same way as the ancient religious icon paintings. The artwork captures Kamila as an artist and reflects on her cultural background and her journey of her past and present.
Titian, van Eyck, Velazquez, Veronese, Manet, Picasso, Whiteley and many other artists have used painted reflected images of the subject or themselves within their paintings to disrupt viewer expectations. I started from my photo of Jillian Ciemitis’s face reflected in the glass covering her photo portrait of artist Kamila Waleszkiewicz. To capture drawings of both two faces within a single image, I created a lenticular image. Carving the drawings into the back of the strips of mirror also places the viewer’s face within the artwork. The folded mirror reverses the viewer’s face. Then placing the lenticular images on a concave surface forces viewers to stand really close to the work in order to decode it, moving the three faces (Jillian, Kamila and ours) into close physical proximity. The viewer is captured within the artwork dissolving the traditional separation of viewer, artist and muse.
Jillian Ciemitis
Photo: Jillian Ciemitis
Graham Hay in response to Jillian Ciemitis ’s artwork
The Venus effect
Mirror, wood, paper, paint, 61
Photo: Graham Hay
Jodie Holwill
Obsolete; Any Sunny Sunday
My inspiration for these photographs were a ‘Snapshot in Time’ of a world where the everyday and ordinary can be beautiful.
The photograph Obsolete demonstrates simple yet effective red brick heritage listed architecture and included communication methods so important in the past yet now often seen as no longer relevant, all captured in the one shot.
The photograph Any Sunny Sunday in Monochrome could have been taken in any back alley in Inglewood just yesterday or at any time over the last 60years, representing the passage of time does not have to change the simple pleasures of family time on a sunny afternoon.
Peter Campagna in response to Jodie Holwill ’s artwork Later afternoon, my laneway
Responding to Jodie Holwill’s photo taken of the local laneways in black and white. I enjoyed the streams of light and perspective of the photograph in her naturalist and uneventful submission which is how and what I experienced as a young boy exploring what was around me growing up in Inglewood.
Photography, print 20.32 cm (H) x 25.4 cm (W)
Photo: Jodie Holwill
Acrylic on canvas , 40 cm (H) x 51 cm (W)
Photos: Peter Campagna
Kamila Waleszkiewicz
Conversations with Jill
This picture portrays Jillian Ciemitis, artist, printmaker, photographer, wife, mother, and friend. Jill's artistic skills and exceptional character deeply inspire me. Through her influence I discovered a deep sense of belonging and purpose in Australia. Her presence sparked a transformative artistic journey that filled my life in Perth with the energy I longed for. In this portrait, Jill stands behind a dark tree, surrounded by vibrant poppy flowers. This symbolic representation refers to our first collaborative project at Inglewood Arts Hub called "Conversations," in which, in response to my own work, Jill created a work depicting silhouettes of dead trees accompanied by vibrant red poppies.
Lyn Williamson in response to Kamila Waleszkiewicz’s artwork
Dry point, chine collè, hand stiching and gold leaf on Arches Velum paper
Framed
Acrylic and gold leaf on a Birch Panel
Memories of Home - I sense a great nostalgia in Kamila for her homeland of Poland. I took the unofficial national flowers of Poland; the rose and the wild field poppy and intertwined it with a mallee rose, a common but very beautiful flowering eucalyptus which grows mostly in Southwestern Coastal areas of Western Australia, but occurs in gardens around the Inglewood, Maylands and Mount Lawley area of Perth.
Portrait Blue and Gold - Responding to 2 portraits, one by Kamila of Julie Cliementis and another photographic portrait by Julie Cliementis of Kamila, I saw a similarity in the inspiration of the works. I endeavored to capture the essence of both works by including a realistic portrayal of Kamila with the beauty of the brushstrokes and also the botanical back ground of Julie’s portrait. Also referencing the blues and gold leaf of European Renaissance portraiture seemed fitting for the heritage of the subject.
Acrylic on board, framed: 59 cm (H) x 50 cm (W)
Photo: Jillian Ciemities
42 cm (H) x 60 cm (W)
Photos: Jillian Ciemities
Kelly Ha
Hollyhock x Inglewood Lane
Digital print, 42 cm (H) x 59.4 cm (W)
Growing up, Inglewood was simply a suburb I would drive past when I travelled into the city. Taking time to explore its laneways, allowed me to create new connections and discover hidden charms of the local area. The digital piece was inspired by the warehouse situated at the intersection of Hollyhock and Inglewood Lane. The isolated building that stood alone at the end of Hollyhock Lane contrasting against the sky was striking. I used a combination of flat geometric and organic shapes, colour and textures to capture the allure the warehouse.
Patrycja Giemza in response to Kelly Ha’s artwork Memories Woven: A Reflection on Spaces and Sentiments
Acrylic collage on canvas, 30.5 cm (H) x 30.5 cm (W)
This artwork is a reflective response to Kelly Ha’s piece, inspired by her encounters with a daily-passed building. My response is drawn from a photograph of the Bank of NSW building, as captured in Louise Wells' project 'Suburban Secrets - Art Trail & History Walk.' The building's pattern remained vivid in my memory from last year, and now, I have finally incorporated it into my piece. The painting's evolution was an exploration, shaped by the currents of my emotional presence here – a kind of tapestry weaving the yearning for my family in Poland and the connection to my homeland, juxtaposed with the richness of my Australian experience.
Photo: Kelly Ha
Photos: Jillian Ciemities
Louise Wells
The Pizza Box Portrait
The challenge to create a portrait was outside my usual art practice of abstract textiles. Looking for ideas, I found a photo of my son and myself standing behind two open takeaway pizza boxes. The inside of the lids had a print of a tuxedo. It was a fun time on holiday and fun photo. My son has Down Syndrome and we had been having a lot of challenges with him. This image reminded me of a good time. I chose to step outside my comfort zone and cut a lino block, a relatively quick process compared to textiles. My previous attempts at lino printing were in high school, I knew the basics, but my prints are far from perfect. I looked at this work simply as a fun playful project.
In my vision, I capture and create an expressive piece of art. I have recreated through my medium of sculpture, a happy and joyful moment with Callum’s favourite pastime of eating Pizza with his Mother. After a lengthy conversation with Louise, I discovered there was much more to know about Callum. Some of his other interests include the West Coast Eagles and Taylor Swift but most of all his toy cars which he loved to arrange in straight lines.
Photo: Josh Wells Photography
Tony Wilde in response to Louise Wells’ artwork
Callum’s Carpizza
Mixed
Photos: Jillian Ciemities
Lyn Williamson
Matisse’s Muse IV
Being interested and curious about the process of printmaking leads me to experimentation. I work in all forms of printmaking, from traditional etching to the abstraction of prints made by hand. This print is one of a series of four prints. All having something different about the final result. This version, (no IV) was a last pull of a thin acetate sheet on which the dry point image was made. The image was degrading with the press pressure and so it was “sent” through the printing press four times each time the position of the plate slightly being shifted. It resulted in a slightly disjointed line which I liked. The subject is the mother of a student of mine who is always asking about Matisse. I teach drawing at a local private art studio. I drew a contour drawing of which seemed to be perfect for a translation to a print.
Iwona Van Niekerk in response to Lyn Williamson’s artwork
My painting, titled "Womanhood |," was created to pay tribute to the essence of womanhood, through the lens of the 1920s. This transformative era is renowned for its unique style, which influenced my oil painting. In response to Lyn Williamson's portrayal of a mother and the iconic hairstyle, the painting aims to capture the spirit of an era that was critical for women. The subject's confident posture and classic bob cut symbolize the enduring elegance of femininity, freedom, and the significant changes that occurred in the 1920s. This artwork is a visual homage and a celebration of the timeless beauty and resilience of women, rendered with a vintage feel.
Dry point and hand colouring on 300 gsm paper, 42 cm (H) x 30 cm (W)
Photo: Jillian Ciemitis
Photo: Iwona Van Niekerk
A Nocturnal Reverie
In creating this piece, my intention was to abstractly capture the iconic Clock Tower at the intersection of Beaufort Street and Dundas Road. Against a backdrop of deep black, the tower emerges in a dark shade of pink. The scene carries a sense of enigmatic nostalgia, with a dreamy and contemplative atmosphere. The tower stands as an alluring focal point, evoking a unique blend of mystery and reflection.
Walking past the iconic Clocktower these days I have mixed feelings: very happy ones from the PAST, where I spent many inspiring hours at my friend’s shop. Now reused, repurposed: nothing to look at in the window but grey curtains obstructing the view, not inviting at all, nothing making the happy Clocktower smile. I have used foamboard gifted to me by the previous owner of Clocktower Framers. Old pressed tin from an old house on the farm representing the Clocktower roof. Photos, layered, to represent various previous uses and events 3D effects remembering Craft activities in the shop with my friend, the previous owner.
Patrycja Giemza
Acrylic collage on canvas, 25.4 cm (H) x 25.4 cm (W)
Photo: Jillian Ciemitis
Heidi Kellner-Marshall in response to Patrycja Giemza’s artwork
Clocktower Memories
Collage
32 cm (H) x 42 c.m (W)
Photos: Jillian Ciemities
Peter Campagna
Family at the Nooks
Kelly Ha in response to Peter Campagna’s artwork
wandering
In this work I celebrate the contribution of the "Inglewood on Beaufort" team to make Inglewood a better place. Place to work and live. It represents the gathering of family at the Inglewood at close of day to spend a family evening at the 'night markets' or local restaurant before heading home.
Peter has a deep, personal connection with Inglewood, as it's the place where he spent his formative years, brimming with cherished childhood memories. In our conversation, he fondly recounted moments of playing football and attending shows at the Civic Theatre, now known as the Clock Tower. His own art frequently showcases a vibrant palette and intricate textures crafted through his unique mark-making. Inspired by Peter's nostalgia, I set out to craft an illustration that captures the ethereal essence of revisiting one's treasured memories. I chose to use whimsical hues and uncomplicated shapes, overlaid with intricate patterns, creating a dreamlike world that remains just beyond the viewer's reach. This fantastical realm beckons us to recapture the childlike wonder we all share when we reminisce about joyous moments from our past.
Acrylic on Canvas, 100 cm (H) x 90 cm (W)
Photo: Jillian Ciemitis
Nostalgic
Digital Print, 42 cm (H) x 59 cm (W)
Photo: Kelly Ha
Peter Ciemitis
Inflection Point
Using the Conversations II opening theme of ‘portrait’, ‘Inflection Point’ was a proxemic exploration of fellow artist Graham Hay. The work examines uncomfortable proximity (the viewing position being approximately 10 cm from Graham’s face), deliberate omission (through the use of fragmented linework) and unsettling tension (through use of the unrelated figure-ground). The work is intended to examine the distorting effect of closer inspection of a subject; the arrival at an inflection point.
I responded to Peter Ciemitis’ striking ink and line portrait of acclaimed Perth sculptor Graham Hay. Artist studios and work spaces have been a theme in my paintings and I wanted to capture Graham within his familiar space at work on one of his sculptures. His studio has large windows that wrap around bringing in the daylight and this provided a flow of visual patterns. Elements of earth and clay are represented using a palette of warm Yellow Ochres and Siennas with the occasional sharp accents of primary blue and red. My painting focuses on the intricate network of spiral shapes within the sculptural piece Graham was working on.
Ink on paper, 70 cm (H) x 50 cm (W)
Photo: Jillian Ciemitis
Sue Hibbert in response to Peter Ciemitis ’ artwork
The Studio
Watercolour on Khadi Paper, 30 cm (H) x 30 cm (W)
Photos: Sue Hibbert
My painting focuses on a well-known Inglewood café called Flora on Tenth. I was interested in the strong tonal pattern of light and shadows and to utilise the rough textured Khadi paper to achieve dry brush marks. My aim was to create a sense of movement and light weaving through the lost and found edges within the composition.
in response to Sue Hibbert’s artwork Silent Observers, Flora on Tenth
Sue Hibbert's painting beautifully captures the quiet, contemplative atmosphere of Cafe Flora on Tenth. The twitching light in her work suggests a vibrant city just around the corner. Inspired by her portrait of urban life on Tenth Ave, I ventured out to experience the atmosphere firsthand. The café, located in a plant nursery, surrounded me with a vibrant world of colors, shapes and sunlight. I explored with curiosity, photographing the various plants, pots and ceramic decorations. When I decided to leave the place, two honeycreepers squatted next to me on a kangaroo paw. Their curious gaze seemed to go beyond the present. Guided by Sue's depiction of the silhouettes of people, the enigmatic atmosphere of the café, and the unknown thoughts of my feathered companions, I created this image.
Sue Hibbert Flora on Tenth
Watercolour on 100% cotton rag Khadi paper, framed: 30 cm (H) x 30 cm (W)
Photo: Sue Hibbert
Intaglio print on rice paper and board, 30 cm (H) x 25 cm (W)
Photos: Jillian Ciemities
Sue Mader
Home
Assemblage
Jane had lived in Inglewood for about 40 years before it too, became my home. We became friends. Jane left Lithuania after WWII. She said Australia was a land of opportunity, a place to start again. An army camp in Northam, repurposed to house immigrants, initially was home for Jane, her husband and their two small children. Jane described living there as ‘difficult.’ They were encouraged by friends to apply for a bank loan, learning of a land sale in Inglewood. The family lived in a tent on their newly purchased land while they saved to build their Inglewood home. Jane didn’t finish the law degree she had started in Lithuania. She did, however, find café work in the city, near the corner of Barrack and Hay Streets. Running to catch the last tram along Beaufort Street, which stopped at Central Avenue to walk six blocks, past the pig farm near Tenth Avenue on her way home was often relieved with humour. Hand stitching selected materials to trace the rawness and solitude of uncertainty, yet to delicately witness seeds of renewed hope is my story portrait, about Jane.
A powerful use of call and response techniques such as used in Conversations II is the opportunity to use works by fellow artists as tangential launchpads. In the painting “Unravel”, the image responded to a work that was in progress by Sue Mader. Sue’s work was exploring spatial patterning of Inglewood, but I was transfixed by the loose threads that still formed part of the work at that time (later trimmed). The ad-hoc patterning of the loose threads formed the basis of experimentation with watercolour and masking fluid to create a visual response to the chaotic lines within an emerging figurative piece. The outcome was a painted texture that resembled scarring, which in turn took the work to a darker place, experimenting with tonal blocking to loose any sense of a representational form, and relying instead on predominantly on figure ground, and crude mark making to suggest eyes and teeth. The resulting work becomes more of an examination of an imaginary ‘inner world’ or deep psyche, in the footsteps of post-war artists such as Joy Hester. This was a work enabled by the Conversation process, through permission to respond, explore and let the work take its own direction, even if it was outside of my typical work.
of materials, wood, hessian, cheese cloth, cotton and hand stitch, 37 cm (H) x 19 cm (W) x 6 cm (D)
Photo (detail:) Jillian Ciemitis
(Home - work in progres, detail)
Peter Ciemitis in response to Sue Mader’s artwork
Unravel
Watercolour and acrylic on paper 70 cm (H) x 50 cm (W)
Photos: Jillian Ciemities
(Unravel - detail)
Tony Wilde
Portraits of Inglewood
In my Art, I capture a snapshot of my Inglewood experience, a rich childhood in a not so modern world, hand delivered papers thrown onto dewy lawns, led light windows and the smell of burning wood. Fresh milk deliveries, corner lunch bars and my grandmother's cross that greeted me as I returned from bringing the old lady down the road her woman’s weekly. Shimmery forms of a distant memory leaving only a sense of nostalgia and identity. In memory of, Madge Byrne, my nan.
In response to Tony’s art work, my thoughts drifted to the memories encased in the keepsakes, I have collected over time. It made me think of how we arrive at a place, to either visit or inhabit. Over time we move on, often leaving traces of our lived experiences behind. Some of the traces remain visible like a washed-out poster on a billboard on an old community building or faded signs on an empty shop front. Other traces of material and organic matter break down and integrate to become embedded in layers of the earth’s folds and often, rediscovered much later on. It serves to remind how collected keepsakes can hold such special memories for us of our place in time.
Photo: Jillian Ciemitis
Sue Mader in response to Tony Wilde’s artwork Layers of Time
Acrylic on board, lime washed and hand stitched hessian,
Photo: Jillian Ciemities
Desiree Crossing
Cafe companions
Desiree Crossing Morning Meet
I spend a lot of time in Inglewood cafes, mostly catching up on emails or having casual business meetings. I love the energy of these spaces, being around people greeting each other, catching up on life. Late one morning I saw this young man and his grandmother walk in to L&A to have lunch together and it really made my heart sing. They seemed so happy in each other's company, relaxed and engaged in conversation. I loved doing the same with my own grandmother, who had passed away only weeks before I saw these two, and the memory of time spent with her made me smile. As they were leaving, I asked if they would mind if I painted this moment, and she beamed, stating with pride, "He's my grandson!"
Conversation was a point of focus for me in this painting. My partner had been reflecting on modes of communication in his artwork, and I found it a wonderful thing to consider in the context of the cafe setting. From my cafe table, I've overheard snippets of conversation from people on first dates, job interviews, family reunions, new mothers. Coffee is often where it starts and can be a launchpad for so much more.
Oil on canvas, 25 cm (W) x 20 cm (H)
Photo: Desiree Crossing
Oil on board, 20 cm (W) x 25 cm (H)
Photo: Desiree Crossing
Inglewood Town Square 895B Beaufort St, Inglewood WA 6052
Title: Conversation II Art Exhibition Catalogue 2024
Author: Kamila Waleszkiewicz
Copyright Year 2024
Inglewood Arts Hub has been supported by the City of Stirling, the Western Australian Government through the Small Grants program and RAC through the Connecting Communities Fund.
