• IOTA24 Runs Saturday 17 August – Sunday 27 October 2024 at Fremantle Arts Centre
  • IOTA24 Opening Night Event: Friday 16 August at Fremantle Arts Centre.
  • Several international and Aboriginal artists exhibiting in WA for the first time and available for interview the week of the Exhibition Opening.

Visitors to Fremantle Arts Centre (FAC) can experience the outstanding works of international, contemporary craft artists between 17 August – 27 October. Returning after its inaugural exhibition in 2021, IOTA24 (Indian Ocean Craft Triennial) unites artists from countries around the Indian Ocean Rim. IOTA24 is curated by Carola Akindele-Obe & Jude Van Der Merwe and celebrates craft as a transcendent language, fostering appreciation of the handmade.

Spanning the breadth of FAC’s beautiful neo-gothic galleries, IOTA24 will showcase the works of international craft artists and groups from six Indian Ocean countries: India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, South Africa, and First Nations Australians.

From intricate paperwork by Ankon Mitra, a pioneer of Origami in India, to the whimsical ceramic creations by Vipoo Srivilasa, honored as the 2021 Ceramic Artist of the Year by the American Ceramic Society, the exhibition will feature contemporary installations that blend modern themes with deep-rooted craft traditions.

Fremantle Arts Centre curator, Abigail Moncrieff, commented on the momentous platform IOTA24 offers to local artists, “Fremantle Arts Centre is deeply invested in supporting makers and connecting them with audiences. We are so pleased to host IOTA24 and facilitate this unique opportunity for Australian practitioners to contextualise and present their work alongside their Indian Ocean peers.”

Carola Akindele-Obe & Jude Van Der Merwe said the guiding theme for this year’s exhibition is ‘Codes in Parallel’, inspired by craft’s power to connect us and transcend cultural boundaries. “Reflecting on how craft inherently communicates on many levels, emotional and physical, ‘Codes in Parallel’ is a study of craft as a universal language, shedding light on its role as a vessel for hidden messages, symbols of status, and narratives that empower or disempower communities.”

Twelve craft artists will be exclusively exhibiting at FAC, many for the first time in Western Australia. Eight of these artists will also be on site at FAC to celebrate IOTA24’s Opening Night:

  • Jacky Cheng, born in Malaysia and living in Broome, was awarded 1st prize in Fremantle Art Centre’s 46th Print Awards 2023. Rooted in her own bicultural experience, her focus is about identity and awareness through cultural activities, nostalgia, and intergenerational relationships.
  • Alfred Lowe, an Arrernte person from Snake Well in the central desert. Alfred uses clay/ceramics to explore themes of Country. Alfred’s interest in racial justice, particularly how culture and identity are navigated in modern times, are underlying in his work.
  • Vipoo Srivilasa who creates predominately ceramic, intricate artworks that reflect his experience living between Australia and Thailand, celebrating the intersections of cultures and ideologies. His work is held in national and international collections.
  • Maharani Mancanagara, whose work reflects on Indonesia’s complex issues surrounding modern socio-political and cultural history through fictional storytelling.
  • Bappaditya Biswas, one of India’s foremost textile experts. His weaves have redefined Bengal handloom and given the textiles of the state a new look and feel. He created the brand Bai Lou and the iconic store Byloom in Kolkata.
  • Russell ‘Wossy’ Davey & Ashley Hunter from Ingarlgalandij Art & Culture are proud Bardi men. Their art is inspired by their Bardi culture and personal histories, incorporating Dreamtime stories into their multidisciplinary practice.

ENDS
For more information or media enquiries, please contact:
Kassandra Zaza
[email protected]