International Art Textile Biennale 2023
17 June - 26 July
International Art Textile Biennale 2023 celebrates the vibrant and evolving world of contemporary art textiles. In its second edition, this Biennale showcases a diverse array of works that push the boundaries of textile art.
A testament to the profound shift underway in the perception of textile art, lies a powerful and accessible medium for exploring identity, society, and politics in the 21st century. The 35 finalists from 11 countries dismantle preconceived notions on what it means to be a textile artist and how this medium can express profound commentary.
Diverse perspectives unfold in each piece, challenging inherited canons and questioning concepts such as body and beauty, isolation and community. Artists delve into fabric as architecture, unravelling notions of home and the temporal nature of interior space. Some pieces serve as diaries of concerns about the escalating impacts of climate warming, while others examine the intrinsic nature of self-reflection, exploring the act of making as a journey of internal struggles and letting go. Playfulness and introspection dance hand in hand, where the boundaries of textile art are stretched, unravelled, and woven anew, offering viewers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of contemporary artistic expression.
Traditional techniques also seamlessly intertwine with innovation. Seated beside the familiar textiles are a myriad of unconventional companions - rabbit skin, paper-pulp, concrete, flax, old woollen blankets, stringybark, spider egg cases, recycled plastics, foraged vines, recycled electrical copper wire, charcoal, reclaimed ceramics, fluorite, amethyst, business tie linings, doilies, and off-cuts of previous artworks.
Jacobo Alonso (Mexico)
Eszter Bornemisza (Hungary)
Kerstin Bruchhauser (Germany)
Evangeline Cachinero (Australia)
Sue Cunningham (Australia)
Robyn Cuthbertson (Australia)
Margaret Djarbalarbal Malibirr (Australia)
Tina Fox (Australia)
Ann Goddard (United Kingdom)
Rachael Howard (United Kingdom)
Josephine Jakobi (Australia)
Amy Jones (Australia)
Walter Jugadai (Australia)
Gintare Joudele (Lithuania)
Linda Knight (Australia)
June Lee (South Korea)
Brenda Livermore (Australia)
Irene Manion (Australia)
Claudia Mazzotta (Australia)
Jem Olsen (Australia)
Sayaka Ono (Japan)
Rachel Pearcey (United Kingdom)
Hilary Peterson (Australia)
Catriona Pollard (Australia)
Neha Puri Dhir (India)
Tamara Russell (Australia)
Katherina Sommer (Germany)
Samantha Tannous (Australia)
Renee Trovarelli (France)
Ruth Wagner (Australia)
Rachael Wellisch (Australia)
Louise Wells (Australia)
Ji Seon Yoon (South Korea)
Stefanie Zito (USA)
Fibre Arts Australia presents this significant award to highlight contemporary art textile practice. Fibre Arts Australia is committed to developing this significant award and with it the original vision and intentions for art textile practitioners continue to expand, grow, and inspire.
Image: Brenda Livermore, Fire Brand (detail). Photo: Janet Tavener.
