News

Walking through FAC’s grounds you might find Artist in Residence Sanne Koelemij creating gigantic colour fields across her handmade canvases. Hailing from Canberra, Sanne uses everything from cardboard to coffee cup lids and perspex, found during dumpster diving, to construct her large-scale abstract landscapes. Each final work and collaged ‘drawing’ is a kaleidoscopic example of Sanne’s ability to place colour into a joyful, cohesive whole. With an incredible eye for colour balance, Sanne can not only see colour but hear it through the neurological phenomenon synaesthesia.

For everyone who’s ever broken a favourite cup, plate or precious ceramic sculpture, Artist in Residence Stephanie Hammill (WA) can relate. Stephanie’s ceramics practice is built around broken, distorted ceramics in need of some serious help or just a little bit of love. After studying the traditional Japanese repair technique Kintsugi, Stephanie has been carefully and laboriously repairing broken ceramics and collecting their stories along the way.

Brit Award-nominated three-piece London Grammar return to Australia for a massive national headline tour this September. The tour will see Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dot Major perform shows across four states in some of the country’s most esteemed venues and arenas, including Fremantle Arts Centre.

Melbourne-based video artist Claire Robertson returns to the remains of the temporary Pilbara mining camp that she and her family called home during the 1980s in her upcoming exhibition Far From Here. Drawing on colonial narratives and following the collapse of the Australian mining boom, Claire has created a haunting installation of cinematic proportions. Shot on-site, she’s captured the uninhabited demountable villages as they sit in stark contrast to the vast, endless horizon. Claire gave us an insider’s take on life in a mining camp ahead of the exhibition opening on Friday 26 May.

Meet Layne Dhu-Dickie, the youngest artist to ever be showcased in the Revealed Exhibition: New & Emerging WA Aboriginal Artists. Revealed features the next generation of Aboriginal artists from some of the most remote locations in WA, alongside regional and metropolitan artists. Spinifex Hill Artists’ Layne is 12 years old and the creative brains behind Captain Hedland. The comic book series charts the adventures of the valiant Captain Hedland and his efforts to fight drug and alcohol addiction in Layne’s home of Port Hedland. Revealed runs until Sunday 21 May.

Treat mum this Mother’s Day with a unique gift from our shop FOUND at Fremantle Arts Centre. We stock the largest range of locally made and designed products in WA with work by Perth artists, regional makers and artists living in some of the most remote locations in the state. Find remarkable ceramics, jewellery, textiles, fashion, woodwork, books, toys and more. FOUND is open 9am–5pm, daily.

Taiwanese artist Alice Lin has always had a fascination with native flora and fauna. She’s currently our Asialink Artist in Residence and has been creating whimsical sculptures based on well-known Australian animals. Her playful ceramics re-imagine real-life animals, adding new features to create strange and beautiful hybrids. We chatted to Alice ahead of her exhibition Muah! opening on Sunday 7 May.

Elizabeth Bills is one of FAC’s many artists in residence, busily working away in studios hidden throughout our building. With a background in anthropology, Liz draws from everyday life to create her clever, evocative installations that offer emotive and often darkly comedic insights into her world. For her latest exhibition For The Lonely, she’s tackled feelings of loneliness to create an unusually accessible show that’s designed for audiences to touch.

We’re excited to announce WA artist Holly O’Meehan as our inaugural Art Ichol exchange artist. Holly will be travelling to Art Ichol, located in the rural city of Maihar in Madhya Pradesh, India, to undertake a month-long residency this September. We caught up with Holly ahead of the trip and asked her about her plans for the exchange.

Byron Bay singer-songwriter and one of Australia’s most loved musicians, Pete Murray has released his new single, Take Me Down, alongside the announcement of his sixth studio album, Camacho — available 2 June. With over one million album sales to his name, the quiet achiever of Australian music will showcase new tracks and old favourites when he plays FAC as part of his epic national tour.