FRI NIGHT 5pm–9pm | 50 Stalls | Food | Bar | Sabrina Hahn Book Launch

SAT + SUN 9am–5pm | 50 stalls | Coffee | Food | Bar | Kids Activities | Frané Lessac Storytime | FAC Yeah! Choir

Bazaar Christmas Makers Market 2024 is back, bigger and b­etter than ever! This weekend, dive into three unforgettable days of festive shopping, summer vibes, and the best of WA’s local artisans at the Fremantle Arts Centre. From Friday, November 29 to Sunday, December 1, FAC’s beautiful heritage grounds will transform into a vibrant marketplace where creativity and craftsmanship take centre stage.

With 50 stalls brimming with WA-designed treasures, Bazaar Christmas Makers Market is your go-to spot for unique, handcrafted gifts this Christmas. Think stunning fashion, homewares, jewellery, ceramics, textiles, toys, prints, and so much more – all made with love by some of WA’s finest makers. There’s no better way to tick off your holiday shopping list while supporting local talent!

Where Fremantle Arts Centre, 1 Finnerty St, Fremantle
Entry $2
More info fac.org.au/whats-on/post/bazaar-christmas-makers-market-2024

What’s On:

  • Friday Night Kickoff (5pm–9pm):
    Meet WA’s gardening guru, Sabrina Hahn, at the launch of her latest book, How To Do It In The Garden, at 6pm, followed by a signing session in the courtyard. With festive vibes, food, and drinks flowing, it’s the perfect start to the weekend.
  • Saturday & Sunday (9am–5pm):
    • Whimsical Storytime with Frané Lessac: Renowned author and illustrator Frané Lessac will enchant families with readings from her beloved children’s books.
    • Kid’s Creative Haven (9am–1pm): The inner courtyard will come alive with toys, storytelling, and art activities – perfect for little ones to explore and enjoy.
    • Festive Sing-Along (Sunday afternoon): Don’t miss a heartwarming performance by our very own FAC Yeah! Community Choir, bringing the joy of Christmas to life.

Treats All Weekend:
From specialty coffee to delicious eats and the FAC Bar, indulge in delicious treats all weekend – because you deserve it!

Why Bazaar?

With a 20+ year history of excellence, Bazaar Makers Market is a trusted favorite for unique, high-quality, and original gifts. This year promises even more excitement, with a mix of premium shopping, exclusive performances, and community charm.

Support emerging makers through the FAC Incubator Program, featuring fresh talent in their first five years of business. Plus, shop from Indigenous creators and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of WA’s artisan community.

Whether you’re basking in the summer sun or soaking in the glow of fairy lights, Bazaar Christmas Makers Market 2024 is the perfect way to celebrate the season, support local talent, and find meaningful gifts.

See you there.

Fremantle Arts Centre are thrilled to announce a special guest for one of the biggest names in UK jazz, Nubya Garcia, on her highly anticipated ‘Odyssey’ Australian tour kicking off this month!

Opening proceedings at the show on Saturday, 26 October, will be Drea.

London-born saxophonist, composer and bandleader Nubya Garcia brings a refreshing take on the genre – redefining what it means to be a jazz musician in the modern era. Garcia is the epitome of musical creativity, fusing elements of dub, R&B and classical styles together with her commanding tone and fierce compositions.

Nubya opens her Australian tour at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, before heading to Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory and finally a Western Australia show at Fremantle Arts Centre Front Garden.

“her tone is gorgeous, her musical intuition perfect” – NPR

“a gripping jazz odyssey” – UnderTone Blog

“history-making jazz in a London accent” – The Guardian ★★★★

Final tickets available via Nubya Garcia: Odyssey – Fremantle Arts Centre (fac.org.au)

SUNDAY MUSIC KICKS OFF WITH EPIC FIRST NATIONS LINE-UP HOSTED BY FLWENT

Fremantle Arts Centre has the pleasure of announcing the return of both Sunday Music, a free outdoor concert series, and Fremantle Community Bank as its major sponsor.

The 2024/25 season opens on Sunday 6 October with, FLEWNT presents The New Wave – a high energy all ages Hip Hop Party introducing the “New Wave” of emerging WA Hip Hop excellence! Hosted by FLEWNT, Noongar| Wongi rapper, mentor and activist, the show will feature JJ VACANT with special guest Taija, and introduce Adriel , KingOTB, and The Proud Noongar Boys with DJ Optamus (from Downsyde) on the decks.

This year’s superbly curated program promises to be a celebration of diversity; an eclectic mix of local and national artists spanning genres from soulful country and indie rock to Afro beats and experimental jazz.

As the local music landscape continues to shift post the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunday Music offers a solid platform that supports both emerging and established talent, providing a rich and dynamic music experience for the community.

Director of Creative Arts and Community for the City of Fremantle, Pete Stone, commented, “We are thrilled to announce this highly anticipated season of Sunday Music that reflects the diversity and energy of music in Australia. Courtyard Music at Fremantle Arts Centre began in 1981, 23 years on Sunday Music has become a cornerstone of the Fremantle music scene. It provides unique opportunities for audiences to connect  with artists and it’s a  joy to see our community come together in this beautiful setting to celebrate our incredible local and national musical talent.”

Debra Rule, Chair of Fremantle Community Bank shared their excitement, ‘We’re very proud to be supporting Sunday Music; a remarkable program that brings our community together, provides a platform for emerging and established local musicians and celebrates the best that Freo has to offer.”

The 2024 program will see Fremantle audiences treated to a wide variety of musical acts:

  • OCT 13 Experimental jazz-fusion group GunFu, whose members draw on influences from jazz, West African, and Cuban music. Sharing the stage with them will be Fremantle’s own Butter, a seven-piece neo-soul collective known for their infectious rhythms and modern boom-bap sound.
  • OCT 20, the spotlight turns to country music as Jonny Fritz and Nashville’s Joshua Hedley bring their unique blend of honky-tonk and western fiddle to the stage, joined by Tasmania’s Ange Boxall, whose ARIA chart-topping album “Skipping Stone” has cemented her as a leading figure in the country music scene.
  • OCT 27 is a wild female line-up with WA Badass Gospel Choir (Abbe May, Ofa Fotu and Joni Hogan) singing all your pop favs from the 90’s + 2000’s while Veronikka will finish off the set with healing good vibes.
  • NOV 3 Kim Salmon, often referred to as the “Godfather of Grunge”, will take to the stage showcasing his legendary rock influence alongside Claire Birchall.
  • NOV 17 features Timothy Nelson and The Infidels, celebrating their 10th anniversary, alongside rising star Finn Pearson and his band, who have been making waves in the alt-country pop genre with their emotive, folk-inspired sound.
  • NOV 24 will be all about folk sounds with Heathcote Blue and Nika Mo tapping into nostalgic feels with a playful energy.
  • DEC 8 as the holiday season approaches, Dave McCormack of the iconic Australian band Custard (and more recently voicing the beloved dad, Bandit Heeler, in Bluey) will revive his famous, off-the-rails Christmas show, promising all the charming chaos and quirky energy fans have come to expect.
  • DEC 15 features high-energy performances from the TTT Afro Band, whose rhythmic, percussive sounds are sure to get audiences dancing. The band is led by master percussionist Moses Odartei and promises to deliver a powerful Afro-beat experience that transcends borders and unites music lovers.
  • DEC 22 Sunday Music offers an unforgettable Christmas special on December 22, headlined by Fremantle’s Natalie Gillespie and FAC’s own community choir, FAC Yeah!

Sunday Music is a family-friendly, free event from 2pm – 4pm in FAC’s front garden. Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic or enjoy the food trucks and bar, soaking up the sunshine while enjoying the impressive range of musical talent.

Keep an eye out in November for the 2025 Program.

SUNDAY MUSIC 2024 PROGRAM

OCT 6                      FLEWNT presents The New Wave

OCT 13                    GunFu | Butter

OCT 20                    Jonny Fritz + Joshua Hedley | Ange Boxall

OCT 27                    WA Badass Gospel Choir | Veronikka

NOV 3                      Kim Salmon with Claire Birchall | The Macho Men

NOV 17                    Timothy Nelson & The Infidels + Finn Pearson Band

NOV 24                    Heathcote Blue + Nika Mo

DEC 8                       Dave McCormack + Emily Barker

DEC 15                    EDWARD + TTT Afro Band

DEC 22                    FAC Yeah! Community Choir | Natalie Gillespie

CARIBOU MAKES DECADE-LONG AWAITED RETURN TO PERTH!

The wait is over – Caribou, project of acclaimed producer and musician Dan Snaith, is setting out on an Australian tour and will be returning to WA for an electrifying performance on Tuesday 7th January at the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre. This marks the first time Caribou has graced Perth with their full four-piece ensemble that is Caribou Live since 2015, and fans are eagerly anticipating their long-awaited return.

Caribou’s Fremantle Arts Centre show will feature special guest Bad Whip (LIVE) and beloved DJ locals, Rok Riley and Ben Taaffe.

The announcement follows the recent launch of Caribou’s new album, Honey, and their upcoming appearance at the New Year’s Eve festival ‘Lost Paradise’. Honey is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2020 album Suddenly, which The Guardian hailed as “perfectly imperfect pop” and awarded 5/5 stars. In his sixth Caribou album, Snaith explores new musical territories – the record grabs you and moves you like his other alter-ego Daphni, before cradling and uplifting you in classic Caribou style. This new record exemplifies Snaith’s ever-evolving artistry and his boundless enthusiasm for creating groundbreaking music.

“I’m still chasing that thrill of when something hits really hard and I find myself jumping up and down or the hairs standing up on my arms in excitement,” Snaith shares. “How lucky am I that that’s never gone away? That the chance of making something new and exciting is still as exhilarating as ever. It still seems like a kind of alchemy.”

– ENDS –

For more information or media enquiries contact Kassandra Zaza [email protected]

About Caribou:

Caribou, the musical project of Dan Snaith, has been a driving force in the world of electronic and indie music since 2005. With a discography that includes celebrated albums like Swim and Our Love, Caribou continues to push the boundaries of music with a unique blend of electronic beats and emotive melodies.

  • 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]

Big, Big, Bigger! Joanna Brown, As Seen Locally and from Space

Jo Brown’s symmetrical, botanical designs can be found dotted far and wide along Western Australian streets, distinct in their bright, block colours and strange alchemies of native flora which seem to be growing bigger and bigger with each passing spring.

While her recent murals decorate many of our everyday commutes, some Freo locals might not realise that Jo has been a part of the community’s artistic tapestry for years. Jo’s iconic clothing business Hustle stood in a brick and mortar on high street for a decade, where she would work on the mezzanine to create original designs which would fly off the shelves in the moments after the final stitch.
“My clothes went ‘viral’, in the real sense – I would come down the stairs and they would be taken out of my hands. It was a little bit exciting, and I ended up also selling in Melbourne, Japan and Broome,” Jo said.

While she was creating wearable art in small batches, Jo was also busy doing design work for festivals, with one of her longest collaborations being with Nannup Music Festival at thirteen years and counting.
“I have just always been in the arts – my mother was a high school art teacher, so I suppose that’s where the saturation came from,” Jo said.

Jo herself went on to study visual arts and education at Curtin, and worked as a high school art teacher for six months. She found herself favouring the students the other staff complained about over lunch.
“There was something magical when those kids were involved in a good art project and their hands were busy – their minds were freed up, and I just loved the quality of conversation they were having.”

Fascinated with art’s capacity to free up the mind, Jo decided to undertake a Master of Arts in art therapy, which deepened Jo’s relationship with her own work.
“When you use art in a therapeutic way, you are not looking with your critical eye – you are looking for quality of mark making and meaning.
“Through the degree, I understood my own output a lot better. I felt more confident, and my path was clearer.”

This path led Jo to a front-of-house role at the Fremantle Arts Centre, where she immerses herself in the community she is otherwise insulated from during her own artistic practice.
“Doesn’t everybody adore FAC?” Jo said. “There is always so much going on, so many different people to meet – I have met so many artists over the years, I have seen so many amazing bands, I’ve met Nick Cave. And I just love the people. I have made long-lasting friendships at FAC.

“People always ask me when I am going to leave the Arts Centre, but I don’t want to – it’s my community, and I need it. I still love walking down the hill in the morning and seeing the port in the distance.”

During her off days, Jo tends to her artistic work which is growing gargantuan in scope and scale.
“Botanical has been a big drive for me,” she said. “In about 2016, I started a body of digital artwork with no outcome in mind. They just rolled out one after the other. I would do detailed drawings on the iPad of individual elements of local plants, then I would take them into photoshop and play with them until it snapped.
“After a few of these, I thought – oh, there is something a little bit strong here.”
The public agreed, with the social media reception to Jo’s new artworks organically growing her online presence until she was eventually asked to bring her illustrations to the streets.
“My first piece of public art was at Freo Social, and it was a collaboration piece with four or five other artists. From there, someone recommended me for a job in South Perth – my work was put before a panel, all independent of me knowing. I ended up winning both sides of a road.”

Initially, Jo was worried about the logistics of how these digital drawings could be brought to life on pavement and bricks.
“I thought, can I even do something this big? Can I even do this in the real world?”
Of course, she could. And now, public art is second nature to Jo, with the story of her projects still ultimately unfolding and expanding.
“I now do other work which is still botanical, but I am using the shapes of plants more than the detailed forms. There is still a lot of symmetry there, but it has gone into a new stage where the designs almost look like tiles – I am using them in a textile way, to my mind.
“I am also quietly playing with ideas of national identity, and the aesthetics of the arts and crafts movement – that 1900s, William Moris-era of design.
“I am interested in the marrying of the arts and crafts movement and Australian plants, which didn’t feature in those works, and looking at where we are now.
“It is an unfolding story – I have always felt as though the images lead, and I trail behind.”
“I still don’t even know if I am considered an artist, a public artist, a designer, an illustrator – I feel like I exist across all these genres.”

Strict definitions don’t appear to be on the horizon, either. This amalgamation of styles works for Jo, who is happy to continue beautifying the greyer parts of WA’s urban landscape and exploring her own artistic mission, through whatever process feels right.
“I’ve never really fitted in anywhere and I’ve never been in a scene. But people do respond quite warmly to my work, so I would quite like to keep doing my own thing.
“And I would like to go bigger.”
Jo remembers a sparkly, slightly tipsy New Years Eve, where she idealised something bigger on the horizon.
“This was in the early days, and I didn’t mean literally bigger. I just meant I wanted to get more energy into it. But that year, it literally got bigger, and bigger, 200 metres at a time.
“All of a sudden, my work was becoming physically enormous.
“I am waiting for Google Earth to update their images, because when they do, you will be able to see one of my works in Melville from space.”
See Jo’s latest work in Perth City on Pier Street, near the corner of Hay Street, for a little botanical relief among all of the concrete.

New Curator + Collections Lead

The City of Fremantle is thrilled to announce the new Curator & Collections Lead; Abigail Moncrieff. Abigail is an esteemed curator and arts leader who has worked both independently and within major institutions across Australia.

Based at Fremantle Arts Centre (FAC) and working in close collaboration with the Manager of Arts and the Arts leadership team, the Curator & Collections Lead will curate the annual gallery program at the FAC and lead the City of Fremantle Visual Arts team across the portfolios of public art, City collections, The Moores Building Arts Space and wider Arts portfolio.

Recognised nationally for her curatorial work, Abigail’s multi-disciplinary approach is considered and confident with extensive curatorial experience across exhibitions, collection practices and public art contexts. She has a deep respect for artists, and highly developed liaison skills within the national arts community.

Abigail has held curatorial roles at Carriageworks, ‘The National: New Australian Art’ 2021, MCA Australia, C3West, ‘Experimenta Speak to Me’, International Biennial of Media Arts, and realised ‘La Passion de Jeanne D’Arc: Rozelle Hospital’ with Venezuelan artist Javier Tellez for Biennale of Sydney. Her experience includes an ongoing interest in curating social and digital art projects and exhibitions, often investigating forms of curatorial practice beyond conventional exhibition models at institutions. Abigail was awarded an MFA from UNSW Art & Design for curatorial research involving community and regional engagement, which culminated in the exhibition ‘Sentient’ at Murray Art Museum Albury with artist James Nguyen.

Abigail has edited and contributed to numerous catalogues and publications, regularly contributing to Australian art journals.

We are looking forward to Abigail joining the City at the Fremantle Art Centre from 22 April 2024 and welcome all that she will bring to Walyalup.

Callout to Aboriginal artists announced as Revealed marks a turning point under AACHWA’s leadership

For the first time in its history the WA Aboriginal art showcase Revealed will be in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander hands, as the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of Western Australia takes the reins for 2024. Revealed is an annual program that brings WA Aboriginal arts centres and independent artists to Perth for an exhibition, art market, and more. Since its inception in 2008 it has grown into an unmissable event on the arts calendar.

AACHWA’s leadership ushers in a new era of self-determination for Revealed. As an Aboriginal-led and governed body, AACHWA provides a genuine and deeply rooted perspective on the Aboriginal art scene across Western Australia and has a profound understanding of the needs and aspirations of artists and communities.

Revealed will now become an integral part of AACHWA’s unwavering commitment to art creation, cultural strength, best practice, and the wellbeing of Aboriginal artists.

For the past eight years Fremantle Arts Centre has been home to the annual exhibition and art market and will stay on as a partner to support AACHWA in the delivery of Revealed 2024.

In 2023 the exhibition featured more than 100 Aboriginal artists from remote, regional and metropolitan WA, presenting a wide range of mediums including painting, animation, printmaking, textiles, sculpture and multimedia works—each one revealing unique narratives of Country, culture and regional life.

AACHWA Chief Executive Officer Chad Creighton said the team at Fremantle Arts Centre had made an important contribution towards making Revealed WA’s biggest Aboriginal art market.

“We thank them for their care for WA Aboriginal artists and for their careful curation of the Revealed exhibition,” he said.

“Bringing together AACHWA’s deep connections with Aboriginal art centres and artists and FAC’s experience with Revealed promises to make the 2024 edition a huge success.

“We also offer our thanks to the State Government of WA, through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries for their support and for entrusting AACHWA with this important WA cultural event.”

FAC Acting Director Olwyn Williams said, “Since inception, Revealed has been key to building the profile of new and emerging Aboriginal artists across Western Australia.”

“Fremantle Arts Centre is honoured to have been part of that development and look forward to being the Exhibition partner as AACHWA presents Revealed 2024”.

AACHWA is thrilled to announce the callout to WA art centres and independent artists for Revealed exhibition submissions. For Revealed 2024, each art centre is invited to nominate up to three artists to feature three works each.

Revealed Art Centre Submissions:
OPEN Thursday 7th December 2023
CLOSE 11:59pm, Sunday 11th February 2024

Visit https://www.fac.org.au/for-artists/revealed-2024-exhibition-submissions-now-open/ to complete the submission form or email [email protected] for more details.

Revealed Exhibition Opening 6pm, Friday 10 May 2024
Revealed Art Market Saturday, 11 May 2024, details TBC

For further information, interviews or images please contact: [email protected] or AACHWA  CEO, Chad Creighton; email [email protected], phone 0419 163 584.

About AACHWA:
The Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of WA (AACHWA) is the peak advocacy and resource agency for Aboriginal art centres in Western Australia, and the only Aboriginal-led and governed body of its kind. It was established in 2009 to meet a sector need identified during Revealed and was incorporated in 2015. Led by an Aboriginal board of directors drawn from member centres across WA’s administrative regions, AACHWA’s primary objective is to celebrate the strength of Aboriginal art and culture by promoting, empowering, and connecting over 2,000 artists across 40 communities over 2 million square kilometres, with the aim of encouraging sustainable growth and commercial stability.

About Fremantle Arts Centre:
Fremantle Arts Centre (FAC) is a creative campus committed to fostering a home of innovation and inspiration, collaboration and curiosity, risk-taking and rigour. FAC is both a cultural and a learning precinct situated in Walyalup (Fremantle) on Whadjuk Nyoongar Boodjar in the centre of a city celebrated for its heritage, creativity, and passionate community.

Revealed is proudly sponsored by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

Fremantle Arts Centre presents Pliable Planes: Expanded Textiles & Fibre Practices

A major exhibition of experimental textiles and fibre practices by leading Australian practitioners.

The Fremantle Arts Centre is pleased to announce a major exhibition of work by twelve Australian artists who reimagine textiles and fibre art. ‘Pliable Planes: Expanded Textiles & Fibre Practices’ runs from Saturday, 4 November to Sunday, 28 January 2024 and is co-curated by Karen Hall and Catherine Woolley.

It includes new commissions and recent works by Akira Akira, Sarah Contos, Lucia Dohrmann, Mikala Dwyer, Janet Fieldhouse, Teelah George, Paul Knight, Anne-Marie May, John Nixon, Kate Scardifield, Jacqueline Stojanović, and Katie West.

The exhibition takes its title from a 1957 essay by celebrated Bauhaus artist Anni Albers who sought to rethink weaving through the lens of architecture, interpreting textiles as fundamentally structural and endlessly mutable. The exhibition presents works that experiment with materiality, spatial fluidity, and process and features painting, assemblage, sculpture, video, sound, and installation. It reflects artists’ use of textiles and fibre to chart social and cultural change, respond to historical modes of production and representation, and test formal properties through weaving, embroidery, knitting, and sewing.

Fremantle Arts Centre Exhibition Manager Pete Volich commented: “We are thrilled to host major exhibition Pliable Planes at the Fremantle Arts Centre for our 50th birthday year. This exhibition features works which challenge and redefine the very essence of what textiles look like. Pliable Planes has brought together a diverse group of talented artists from across Australia, highlighting the many unique ways in which contemporary textile art can be created.”

Exhibition co-curator Karen Hall explains further: “The exhibition unites the work of practitioners who disrupt our understanding of how textiles and fibre are defined and used in contemporary practice. The exhibition highlights dynamic approaches to making from artists who weave with porcelain, unravel paintings on canvas, and create sonic representations of needlepoint.”

Commissioned by UNSW Galleries, seven artists have created new works for the project. They include Ramsay Prize winning artist Sarah Contos, who subverts conceptions of weaving or knitting as a ‘soft’ practice by casting in aluminium while also incorporating her signature DIY aesthetic. While, Kate Scardifield has created a new ‘textile wind instrument’ that explores the interplay between body and material, the natural elements and landscape.

The exhibition also features important collaborative works by John Nixon and Jacqueline Stojanović. Nixon completed half of the collaboration before his death in 2020, and Stojanović finished her part in 2021. The works combine their respective practices — constructed painting and weaving — evidencing the enduring exploration of abstraction across different generations.

An extension to Pliable Planes exhibition, the Fremantle Arts Centre is inviting the community to take part in the making of a piece of large-scale textile artwork, Social Fabric, in which donated fabric will be woven together on a loom across the life of the exhibition.

Running alongside Pliable Planes is exhibition ‘Special Treat’ by artist Dionne Hooyberg, which invites audiences to become lost in a joyful exhibit of colourful patterns and textures. A collection of beach-combed and crafted treasures, A Special Treat is a showcase of Hooyberg’s extensive skills in ceramics, drawing, textiles, and collecting. Curated by Mariann Pugh.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION / ARTISTS

‘Pliable Planes: Expanded Textiles & Fibre Practices’ is a UNSW Galleries touring exhibition presented with the support of the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia touring initiative, the Australia Council for the Arts, and Museums & Galleries NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.

The exhibition is accompanied by a publication designed by Small Tasks featuring new scholarship by writers and curators Sophia Cai, Katie Dyer, and Vikki McInnes.

AKIRA AKIRA (b. 1981 in Kobe, Japan. Lives and works in Boorloo/Perth) is a visual artist whose sculptural spatial practice is centred around notions of abstraction, embodied practices, and intuitive experimentation with processes and materials.

SARAH CONTOS (b. 1978, Boorloo/Perth. Lives and works in Warrane/Sydney) works across mediums creating sculptural installations and assemblages which revolve around themes of femininity, sexuality and materiality. Contos is particularly interested in the relationships between objects and the viewer’s autonomous associations with them.

LUCIA DOHRMANN (b. 1967. Lives and works in Tarndanya/Adelaide) is a visual artist whose works explore and extend the possibilities of traditional painting materials. Repetitious handmade textile processes give a softness and warmth, creating tactile surfaces that mark the passing of laboured time where unmaking becomes making.

MIKALA DWYER (b. 1959, Warrane/Sydney. Lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne) is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice is predominantly installation-based, in which she constructs idiosyncratic, personal spaces within the conventional architecture of the gallery, using materials that have a strong association with the body.

JANET FIELDHOUSE (b. 1971, Gimuy/Cairns. Lives and works in Gimuy/Cairns) is a First Nations artist from the Meriam Mer (Torres Strait) working with ceramic clay and found materials to draw upon her matrilineal connections to the Torres Strait Islander communities as well as her father’s European heritage. Her objects are instilled with experiences and ideas sourced from family, culture, storytelling and interaction with First Nation peoples.

TEELAH GEORGE (b. 1984, Boorloo/Perth. Lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne) is a visual artist whose practice incorporates painting, textiles, sculpture and installation. Her woven and painted surfaces are built in response to oral histories, archives, photographs and fragmented timelines.

PAUL KNIGHT (b. 1976, Warrane/Sydney. Lives and works in Berlin, Germany) is a visual artist interested in how intimacy is constructed and communicated through a practice which includes both photography and textiles. With remarkable candour, he documents private moments that are at once banal and emotionally charged. 

ANNE-MARIE MAY (b. 1965, Naarm/Melbourne. Lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne) is a visual artist working across diverse mediums including sculpture, installation and design to undertake explorations of colour, abstraction and space. A long-standing interest in architecture, craft, making and materiality informs her experimentation with process and the production of objects.

KATE SCARDIFIELD (Lives and works in Warrane/Sydney) is a visual artist with a research-driven, interdisciplinary and experimental studio practice. Driven by material investigation and deeply invested in archival and collection-focused research, her work spans textiles, sculpture, installation and video to explore relationships between the body, site and space.

JACQUELINE STOJANOVIĆ (b. 1992. Lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne) is a visual artist whose practice incorporates textiles, drawing, and installation. Foregrounding an interest in the history of the handmade, her practice examines the geographic iterations of early art forms, paying particular attention to symbol, motif and the underlying feminine qualities early crafts have in production and metaphor.

JOHN NIXON (b. 1949, Warrane/Sydney. Died 2020, Naarm/Melbourne) An influential Australian abstract artist whose career was defined by an ongoing dedication to geometric abstraction. Spanning more than half a century from the late 1960s, his formal experiments and innovation concerned both minimalism and maximalism, encompassing painting collage, photography, video, dance and experimental music performance.

KATIE WEST (b. 1988, Boorloo/Perth. Lives and works in Boorloo/Perth) is a Yindjibarndi artist from the Pilbara region in Western Australia. She combines naturally dyed textiles, installation, sound, and social practice to formulate ways to enact custodianship in colonised and ecologically-compromised contexts.

Bazaar maker’s market returns to Fremantle Arts Centre in 2023 with a bumper line up of WA artisan vendors.

Western Australia’s most loved Christmas market will be held December 1 – 3, treating marketgoers to a smorgasbord of bespoke, locally-made arts and craft wares. Now in its 44th year, Fremantle Arts Centre (FAC) is thrilled to announce their curated list of 45 stallholders for the 2023 Bazaar Christmas Makers Market. Vendors will gather on the Arts Centre’s grassy lawns, hand selected for being of the highest calibre and designed and created in W.A. An enjoyable and unique Christmas shopping experience, the Bazaar market offers everything from crafts and homewares to fashion, jewellery, textiles, ceramics, woodwork, toys, prints, stationery and more.

FAC is also very pleased to announce its first major sponsor, neighbouring property development, Muse at Artisan Place by Edge Visionary Living and DevelopmentWA. Acting Director Olwyn Williams commented, “The Bazaar market has been part of Fremantle Arts Centre since 1979, when it was known as the Annual Crafts Fair. So much more than a traditional market, the event brings the community together and offers an antidote to the usual stress of Christmas shopping. As we celebrate 50 years of art at FAC, we are delighted to have found such a befitting partner in Muse at Artisan Place with a commitment to Arts and Culture at its core.” Muse is the first in a collection of inspired buildings at Artisan Place, and Edge Visionary Living Managing Director Gavin Hawkins said the Bazaar represented the perfect opportunity to present the vibrant new residential and arts precinct located on Vale Street in Fremantle’s east end.

“Artisan Place incorporates art studios and galleries, makers spaces, and a performing arts centre, and will help to connect residents with a community of like-minded neighbours at the Fremantle Arts Centre,”Mr Hawkins said. “We are very proud to be extending this commitment to the local arts scene, as the inaugural sponsor of the Fremantle Arts Centre Christmas Bazaar. “It is a privilege to contribute to such a vibrant event that is paramount in bringing locals and visitors together to enjoy the atmosphere while supporting the local arts scene. Muse will only add to the vibrancy of this very special neighbourhood,” Mr Hawkins said.

Some of the talented makers on offer at the market include ceramicist and art therapist Anthea Carboni of Yuniko Studio, with a range of hand made ceramics and textiles. Anthea is heavily influenced by Japanese design, and the concept of ‘wabi sabi’- beauty in imperfection. Not to be missed is timber artisan Mark Nagtzaam with a selection of works including wooden boards and kitchen utensils primarily made from reclaimed timber, sourced near his workshop in the South West of Western Australia. Lisa Gardner will display her resin jewellery made with organic materials including native grasses, foliage, flowers and shells; seamlessly integrated into resin. Bazaar regular Njalikwa Chongwe brings his ceramic vessels infused with themes drawn from his African heritage and coastal influences. Njalikwa embraces techniques found in Asian ceramics as well as practices used by traditional African potters – a true ‘melting pot’ and convergence of many cultures.

Collage artist Meagan Gardiner will also have a stall featuring her three-dimensional miniature shadow boxes containing found objects ranging from seashells from the Australian coastline to native seeds and wildflowers from the bush, and more recently, watch parts, Kalgoorlie gold and iron ore.

Fremantle Arts Centre will also continue to foster emerging makers through its incubators program. The Incubator Program involves subsidised stallholder fees, mentoring and support for craftspeople in their first five years, and is part of the Fremantle Arts Centre’s continued commitment to nurturing the careers of emerging makers. This year sees the program supporting four stalls, including Fish Apple Rugs, Koro, Love Lamps and MEG Ceramics.

As per previous years shoppers may rest their feet and appreciate delicious food and beverage offerings from a range of food vendors. What’s more, this year on the Friday evening Christmas lovers will also enjoy carols by the Arts Centre’s very own FAC Yeah! Community Choir.

Stallholders

Ceramics
Zinongo Studio
Yuniko Studio
Deep Earth Ceramics
SWALÕ CERAMICS
Ceramics by Danica & Beste
Ceramics by Holly O’Meehan
Forrest Road Studios
Gather Ceramics
Two Stories

Jewellery & Fashion
Kor by Lisa Gardner
Violet Clark Studio
The ANJELMS Project
Annette Wiguna
Belen Berganza
Carmel Fasolo Designs & Daphneling.gt Designs
Claire Townsend Design
Clay + Metal
convict
daniel(ink.)
i j e w e l l e r y
Jewellers & Metalsmiths Group of Australia (WA) Inc
Native Needle
Patong/Alison Bullock
Pixelcat Co
Saltwater Sapphires
Sewing Machine Activist: Miranda Green
Susannah Kings-Lynne Jewellery
Tineke Creations Jewellery

Furniture & Homewares
Nagtzaam
Anne Gee
ELIA Balms & Blends
Melting Pot Glass Studio
nikked glass
Nook & Corner Furniture
tony docherty
Turner + Turner

Print works & Art
Semblance
Braw Paper Co.
Map Journal

Incubator Program
Fish Apple Rugs
Koro
Love Lamps
MEG Ceramics

Indigenous
Jalbi Australia and The Natural Food Emporium
HOOSH Designs & The Mango Silk Collective