Crested pigeon II

Crested pigeon II, 2014

Another crested pigeon print as part of Bimblebox 153 Birds Project.
I love this bird so much!!

Zodiac print project

Damon Kowarsky and I have been working on a new project called Zodiac.
It's a suite of 12 etchings based on Damon's figurative drawings with my animals inspired by the deity statues that bear the characteristics of the twelve zodiac animals in Sanjusangendo in Kyoto.

Damon thought about this project while we were in the Art Vault last year for our Along the River project.

We started the production in late June this year and now we are back in the Art Vault in Mildura for printing the editions.

We've done 3 editions of Rat, Ox and Tiger so far in 3 days.

Tomorrow is a RABBIT day! :)

Athenaeum Library

Photograph by Harvard Wang

I had one of the most amazing time during my residency at the Athenaeum Library last week.
I met so many wonderful people from here, interstates as well as overseas throughout the week, as we had Rare Book Week, AIDS Conference, the Nite Art and Open House Melbourne all coincided in one week!

Photograph by Harvard Wang

Thank you so so much everyone at the Athenaeum Library, especially Sue, Tom, James, Clare and so many lovely volunteer people.

I felt so respected and supported throughout the week and it was such a privilege to be able to work in a place where I could see the weight of the history.

It was so fortunate to have taken part in such a great program in the exciting week!

Photograph by Harvard Wang

Special thank you to one of my oldest friends and my favourite photographer in Melbourne, Harvard Wang who took lots of beautiful photos of the library and my work.

Photograph by Harvard Wang

Getting very close to the days at Athenaeum Library

I'm starting my residency at Melbourne Athenaeum Library from Monday 21 July.
Here are some sneak peeks of my works for the Library.
These are my interpretations as an adult of Japanese folklores and ghost stories I heard as a child.

I'll be making these books during the week as well as demonstrating and giving talks on Wednesday and Thursday.
Or if you are in town, feel free to pop in, we can talk about books and maybe make something together!

Boat spirit (working title), 2014

Wrath of cats (working title), 2014

Old fox of Aoyama (working title), 2014

Melbourne Athenaeum Library
Level 1, 188 Collins Street (right opposite Regent Theatre, above Athenaeum Theatre)
Melbourne
03 9650 3100

Tunnel books and Other Illuminations

If you are in Melbourne city in the week starting Monday 21 July, I would love to invite you to the historic Melbourne Athenaeum Library where I'll be making a series of tunnel books based on Japanese ghost stories and folklores with illuminations like festival lanterns.

Cat festival, 2014

I'm giving talks for Nite Art, 6pm Wednesday 23 July and the Rare Book Week, 12:30pm Thursday 24 July. 

It also coincides with Open House Melbourne, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July.

The library will get over 4000 guests over the weekend!!

Tunnel books and other illuminations

Monday 21 to Sunday 27 July

Melbourne Athenaeum Library

Level 1, 188 Collins Street

Melbourne

9650 3100

Talks

- Wednesday 23 July, 6pm (Library will be open until 11pm!)

- Thursday 24 July, 12:30pm 

It's so cold in Melbourne but there are so many exciting events happening around town during the mid-winter!

Fertile Ground

I'm part of a group exhibition Fertile Ground at Australian Tapestry Workshop.
It is an exhibition of work by Artists in Residence at the Australian Tapestry Workshop from 2012 to 2013. It's a celebration of the work these artists produced while at the ATW.

It's very exciting to be in an exhibition at one of my favorite places in Melbourne!

Opening party Tuesday 11 March 6 - 8pm

Exhibition runs until Friday 4 April.

Australian Tapestry Workshop
262 -26 Park St
South Melbourne

Rabbit hunt

Rabbit hunt, 2013

Rabbit hunt is a miniature book I made during an artist-in-residence at Australian Tapestry Workshop.
It's a conflict between humans who hunt and rabbits who fight back!

Rabbit hunt, 2013

I was inspired to make this when I was flipping through books on medieval tapestries.
"Rabbit Hunt with Ferrets" in 15th century and the Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries in the late 15th - 16 century really caught my eyes.

I knew Unicorn tapestries as they are often used in popular culture but it is after I started learning to weave, I realised their significance.

Rabbit hunt, 2013

There is also another suit of unicorn tapestry that really grabbed my attention called The Lady and the Unicorn.

In contrast to the Hunt of Unicorn, The suit of six lady tapestries depict five senses (taste, hearing, touch, smell and sight) plus one obscure one with beautiful red colour with dazzling millefleurs.

They are in the collection at Musée de Cluny in Paris. 

In January 2014, I'm going to see these tapestries in Paris! 

Rabbit hunt, 2013

It's a leather book!
More details are on my website.

I want more rabbits!

I want more rabbits! original book

 I want more rabbits! is a little book about multiplying rabbits I made while I was artist in residence at Australian Tapestry Workshop.

It's a concertina book with original drawings of watercolour and ink.

I want more rabbits! original book

I then decided that I also want to make a digital print version of this because I wanted to multiply these multiplying rabbits.

So I scanned and got my friend and font king Cameron to help me coordinate the books with additional cool English and Japanese fonts. 

I want more rabbits! digital print zine

I want more rabbits! digital print zine

I want more rabbits! digital print zine

They are available through me or Sticky Institute or Port Jackson Press in Melbourne at the moment!
I hope they will multiply in different locations soon.

Australian Tapestry Workshop

Left to right: Milena Paplinska, Pam Joyce, Sue Batten and Cheryl Thornton
Working on the interpretation of Juan Davila's painting for the State Library dome

I'm currently an artist in residence at Australian Tapestry Workshop.

ATW is one of two tapestry workshops in the world that produces hand-woven tapestries in collaboration with artists on a commission basis (the other one in the UK).
Australia should be very proud!!

It's a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful place to work in.

Like the residency at the Art Vault, I cannot stress enough how great it is to work there.

My initial project was to make lots of artist books, but I couldn't resist the urge to try learning the technique of weaving.

I'm just realising and appreciating how fascinating and difficult it is to be able to weave.
I think this difficulty actually makes it even more captivating as a medium because it highlights the great craftsmanship of artisans' hands and the laborious time they spend in creating monumental tapestries.

I don't think much has changed in terms of the technique that ATW's weavers employ.
It is so magical to imagine the history of this art since 15th century - the same technique in totally different environments for different purposes.

And there is a fantastic opportunity to view great tapestries coming soon!
My friend Ema Shin, former artist in residence at ATW, is shortlisted for Kate Derum Award for Small Tapestries. Opening of the exhibition and Award announcement is on Thursday 29 August at ATW.
This should be an amazing exhibition of tapestries from all over the world.

I am slightly ashamed to show but here are my practice pieces... very far from even creating my own image.

First trial - practising how to create basic shapes

Second trial - trying to create an image with not much success

Images of the Along the River

Edison, 2013

Here are some images from the Along the River series I made with Damon Kowarsky.

Please go to our website for all 14 prints in the suite.

I'm missing warm and sunny Mildura in cold Melbourne!

Contact

Night march

Rachel

Under the sea

Along the river,  zine

We've also made zines to accompany with the prints!
It's available at Sticky Institute in Melbourne.

Blackbird, part of the zine

Exhibition - Along the river

We have one more image to print tomorrow for this exhibition Along the River at the Art Vault in Mildura.
This exhibition presents a suite of 14 etchings Damon and I made during our Artist in Residence at the Art Vault.

This also means that our residency is going to end in one week.
It's sad to think I have to leave but I think I have to leave that for the next post.
There is just so much to write about this wonderful studio, I don't know where to start.

Here is a photo of all proofs - hopefully I can put proper images of the prints here very soon.

Along the river

Past few weeks I've been preparing for a collaborative print project named Along the river with Damon Kowarsky that will take place in The Art Vault in Mildura from 25 June.

We are trying to create a suite of 14 colour etchings based on Damon's drawings of riverside architecture in Kyoto with my drawing to intervene with them, as well as an accompanying zine during the artist in residence program.

This project is supported by Arts Victoria as part of their Arts Development project grant.
Damon's drawings were made in April while we were travelling in Japan as part of Japan Foundation's support program.

I'll be posting all the updates and progress of this project on Damon and Kyoko Collaborative Project news. Please keep an eye out.

Here are some of the plates we've drawn. 

'Falling rabbits' plate

'Snapper festival' plate

'Wombat family' plate