A Portrait of Taiwan in Perth exhibition: 1 – 7 August 2018
How can we talk about our own culture and understand each other through an object?
This exhibition focuses on the diverse responses to this intriguing question by a group of forty-four women. Initiated by Ashley Yihsin Chang, the project focuses on a group of 22 women from the Perth Taiwanese community who have been actively engaged with 22 local artists over the last year. The aim of this project is to foster a dialogue built around an object that each Taiwanese woman has brought with her from Taiwan and is reflective of the culture of her home country. The artists are from a mix of different cultural backgrounds and include emerging and senior, such as Olga Cironis, Nalda Searles, Eva Fernandez, Mel Dare and Elizabeth Marruffo.
The exhibit consists of 22 photographic portraits created by the artists, with accompanying bilingual text that outlines each participant’s experience of the exchange. The emerging stories convey the many obstacles faced by young Taiwanese women migrating to a new country and culture, that are both painful and heart warming.
Accompanying the photographic art posters, there will be a screening in the gallery and on the Northbridge Piazza Superscreen of a short documentary film made by a group of third year film and video students at Edith Cowan University about the project.
Participating artists and Taiwanese women with their objects:
Sarah Toohey and Candy Lee on Granny Fabric.
Vanessa Wallace and Belle Hsiung on Chinese Calligraphy Book.
Sharon Callow and Sue Liu on Lunar Calendar.
Louise Monte and Carol Natalotto on Taiwanese Kung-Fu Tea Ceremony.
Lee Kinsella and Min McDonald on Family Portrait and Blessing Photos.
Perdita Philips and Miranda He on Poe Divination.
Beverly Iles and Jenny Hsu on Home Ancestor Altar.
Della Cornish and Judy Chi on Full Moon Baby Gold Jewellery Box.
Carmela Corvaia and Eva Willicombe on Qi-Pao.
Nalda Searles and Nicole Yang on Double Happiness Coat Hanger.
Mel Dare and Shirley Tsao on Red and Me.
Emily ten Raa and Phoebe Kuo on Lanterns.
Elizabeth Devlin and Ashley Chang on Glove Puppet.
Shona McGregor and Nicole Oliphant on Taiwanese’s Aboriginal Hat.
Denise V Brown and Annie Yang on Tao-Di (Ocarina).
Imogen Blow and Jamie Lin on Da-Tung Rice Cooker.
Alina Tang and Jocelyn Hung on Soy Sauce.
Eva Fernandez and May Tsai on Taiwanese cuisine and its colour and presentation.
Janine McAullay Bott and Keira Tsui on Taiwanese dumpling with coin.
Claire Bushby and Hsin-Ling Ada Lee on Photography Book (Invite image above, detail).
Elizabeth Marruffo and Monica Cheng on Oil paintings.
Olga Cironis and Anne Cheng on Birth.
This exhibition will be held at the Perth City Arts Space from 1 to 7 August, 10am to 4pm daily. Located Ground Floor, Northbridge Piazza Community Building, Corner of Lake Street & James Street Northbridge, under the Piazza Superscreen.
This event forms part of the Residency Exchange Programme: Taipei / Perth, initiated by the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts in Taipei, and Turner Galleries in Perth. For more information please visit our website: rexptp.com
Sponsored by:
The City of Perth.
The Department of Local Government, Sports & Cultural Industries.
Turner Galleries.
CANWA.