ARTS GUIDE

Exhibitions to see this June

WORDS BY CHESTER OGILVIE

MARK DOBER & TRUDY RICE: PASTORAL & FLIGHT

Through mediums including oil on canvas and board, watercolour and gouache, Castlemaine-based Mark Dober, who has a PhD in painting from Monash, uses his exploration of surrounding areas to fuel his work. Trudy Rice’s skillset includes solar plate etchings, stencilling and mono-printing. Inspired by the natural environment around her, particularly the gardens of family, she has a deep love for colour.

QUEENSCLIFF GALLERY 22 JUN–09 JUL

Market Art Winter Exhibition

It is said that one word can warm three winter months. Here, it is hoped that art is the fire that keeps the body and heart warm. The annual Market Art Winter Exhibition returns with a showcase of more than 100 artists from the Goldfields region. The exhibition will feature paintings, sculptures, photography, jewellery, textiles and much more, with all works available for purchase. Come and warm your three months of winter.

CASTLEMAINE

MARKET BUILDING 17 JUN–15 OCT

NIKHIL JAMES ARLO

The search for a sense of belonging helps shape the work of Nikhil James Arlo. The Melbourne-based Anglo-Indian artist, whose father, his parents and six siblings arrived in Australia in 1970, works through sculpture, photography and performance, piecing together fragments of lives lived by family to create something more tangible. Through exploring the relationship between place, object and body, Nikhil seeks to discover what it means to live within the Anglo-Indian hyphen.

GALLERY ONE, PLATFORM ARTS, GEELONG UNTIL JUNE 30

LIZ WILLIAMSON: WEAVING EUCALYPTUS PROJECT

The eucalyptus tree has become a symbol of strength, protection and abundance. In 2020, weaver Liz Williamson invited colleagues from Australia to India to colour silk fabrics with locally sourced eucalyptus leaves. The project has since extended to Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and more. Local colour, cultural connections and weaving traditions are displayed through 100 woven panels dyed by 60 collaborators and featuring more than 50 eucalypt species sourced from more than 50 locations.

IGNACIO QUEREJETA: BENDIGO BIRDLIFE

One does not have to be an ornithologist to appreciate birds. From their importance to nature, to their song and communication, they are most magnificent creatures. In Bendigo Birdlife, Ignacio displays his curiosity and empathy for his subject matter through black and white portraits. Originally from San Sebastian in Spain but currently residing in Wollongong, Ignacio is an artist and visual designer inspired by the natural and urban environments around him.

DUDLEY HOUSE, BENDIGO 16–25 JUN

TERRA FIRMA III /SWARM / I’M NOT SORRY THAT YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL

Three very different exhibitions will run at the same time later this month. In Terra Firma III , a diverse collection of artists explore natural and Australian landscapes. In Swarm , Vietnamese-born Hop Dac explores the ordinary and unreal about living in a Vietnamese home in a country Australian town. And in I’m Not Sorry That You’re Beautiful, James Price explores the sentiment “our eyes speak a language that only our heart understands”.

BOOM GALLERY, GEELONG 22 JUN–16 JUL

Frolic Dark Rainbow Art Show

The Frolic Dark Rainbow Festival (June 22-24) is the dark counterpart to its summer Ballarat Frolic Festival. Life here is edgier, bolder, exploring worlds inspired by queerness of paganism, Wicca, Norse mythology and the occult. This art show isn’t afraid to take a walk on the wild side, proudly showcasing a diverse and challenging exhibition featuring some of the region’s best queer art.

FEMXLE EXPERIENCE ART

REBELLION, BALLARAT 22 JUN–29 JUL

Warrnibald Art Prize

Borrowing from Australia’s most prestigious art prize, the Warrnibald Art Prize celebrates, local, national and international people who have made an impact on areas of local culture, charity, business, science, health and education. A venture between the Warrnambool Art Gallery and WDEA Works, winners of the Warrnibald Art Prize (including the juniors) will be announced at the festival’s launch on June 23. Voting for the Archibool People’s Choice is open until July 15.