Ceramics Gallery Installations by Dawn Beasley in Our Lambert Gallery

This exhibition come to Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre after two years in the making, and draws inspiration from botanical forms studied in the Darwin George Brown Botanic Gardens during an artist residency in 2020.

Debuting at the Australian Ceramics Triennal in Alice Springs, Beasley’s Botanically Porcelain is inspired by lush tropical flora. Her pod type forms, presented by the hundreds, hint of growth and survival and organic proliferation. Utilising the mass production technique of slip casting, Beasley maintains a sense of the individual while exploring the relationship between us and the natural world.

In the Godinymayin gallery, her botanic sculptural porcelain artwork becomes an immersive experience that declares a narrative of re-growth, survival, hope, and resilience. The two main installations in the Lambert Gallery create a bold sense of scale whilst embracing the properties of porcelain—reiterating its fine and delicate qualities.

For Katherine, the artist has added individual wall-hung works that reference botanical features and support the organic qualities of her installation works. The formal setting at Godinymayin will separate and isolate these fine art objects from the lush gardens that inspired them—symbolising the human disengagement with nature, while at the same time hinting at a hope for reconnection to the natural environments that surround us. 

Originally formally trained in fine art painting, Darwin artist Dawn Beasley has become one of the Territory’s leading contemporary ceramic artists. Following a life changing diagnosis in 2013, she moved from paint to porcelain and immersed herself in the world of clay. She has exhibited locally, interstate and internationally—and is also the recent recipient of a Churchill Fellowship to undertake a porcelain focused research project in Jingdezhen, China (as soon as travel restrictions there are lifted).

An Interview with Dawn Beasley

To learn more about this upcoming gallery installation, and the fascinating work of ceramic artist Dawn Beasley, the Godinymayin Chief Executive Eric Holowacz sat down with her to pose a few questions about creative process.

Q: The installations you are bringing to Godinymayin began in Darwin, were featured at the Australian Ceramics Triennial in Alice Springs, and are growing even larger for Katherine. Tell us about the work and this extensive journey!

A: Botanically Porcelain has been two years in the making, beginning with an ‘artist in the gardens’ residency in the Darwin Botanic Gardens sourcing inspiration and ideas for this installation of 1,000 porcelain pods. The aim was to design a field of related forms that spoke of botanical growth without being species specific. The pods were slip cast from liquid porcelain using multiple plaster moulds and then individualised with textural details and gold lustre accents.

Being invited to show my work at the Australian Ceramics Triennial represents my emergence as a ceramic artist on the national stage—and I feel honoured to represent the Northern Territoy at this prestigious event.

Expanding the exhibition at Godinymayin to include a second installation and a series of individual wall hung porcelain pieces and paintings was too good an opportunity to miss. The nature of installation work is such that the environment becomes part of the artwork—and the Lambert Gallery is a stunning space. In Alice the 1,000 pods will be installed against a terracotta desert coloured background. In Katherine the white reverence of the formal gallery setting and lighting will create a different visual impact. I’m excited to see the installation realised in this space.

The final exhibition of this work will be in Darwin in early 2023, and the installations will be set against the dark interior of the Northern Centre for Contemporary Art and will grow again with the addition of a third installation.

Q: What’s the most interesting or meaningful arts/culture experience you’ve ever had?

A: I’ve been so lucky in my life to have lived, worked and travelled in Europe, Africa and Asia before moving to Australia. I’ve had so many impactful arts and culture experiences that it’s difficult to rate them. One experience that stands out though, is experiencing Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, a 2014 work by Cummins and Piper. It was a public art installation created in the moat of the Tower of London, and comprised 888,246 ceramic red poppies. This made for a breathtaking vision that created such a dramatic impact—initially because of the shear ambition, beauty and scale of the installation,—followed by a deep sadness and reverence brought about by this visual representation of lives lost. It really brought home the awe-inspiring power of the visual arts.

Q: How do your ceramics connect to the natural world?

A: My work is inspired by the natural world and the process connects me to the earth. I am fascinated by the forms and designs that nature creates: every species navigates its own survival through growth, defence and reproduction. The shapes are beautiful, the mechanics are genius, every walk through the bush is an act of discovery.

Q: You are part of the contemporary art scene in Darwin. What trends and interesting things are happening out there, and what are some of the most interesting venues or institutions in the Territory?

A: The arts scene in Darwin is vibrant and developing, there are a growing number of community galleries now supporting and presenting local talent. The Covid experience has made the arts more valued, and the City is trialling new grant funded arts projects to reconnect the community. I’ve been involved in running painting and ceramic workshops in the botanic gardens as part of the ‘turning public spaces into creative spaces’ initiative, and the response has been fantastic.

At the moment, the whole industry feels invigorated by the recent change in Government and the consultation process for a new arts policy for Australia. There is an optimism for recognition of how essential the arts are to enriching life and for accessible funding to support practitioners. Godinymayin is really putting Katherine on the arts map, initiating youth engagement programs and showcasing outstanding regional artists and building new infrastructure. After my exhibition there, I’m looking forward to my work being part of the Northern Centre for Contemporary Arts program in 2023.

Q: About your creative influences: who are 3 or 4 people that inspire you and drive you to do new things?

A: Juz Kitson is the ceramic artist who influenced my move into porcelain during a residential course in Ubud several years ago. Notable installation artist Anthony Gormley’s work really excites me with possibilities for large scale installations. The community where I rent my studio is also really supportive. I have a number of close studio buddies there that continue to encourage and challenge me. They pushed me to apply for the Churchill Fellowship and are always there to nit-pick my drafts for grant applications!

My greatest teacher however is my daughter. She is a wonderful lateral thinker, and her perspective on things makes me challenge pre-conceptions.

Q: In a few sentences, can you define art?

A: It’s a fundamental human need; to connect, respond and share.

Q:  If you went away from the Northern Territory for a long time and then came back, what are the first three things you would do or visit?

A:  I would celebrate my homecoming with sunset drinks on the Darwin foreshore. I would plan a trip to Ubirr and Burrungkuy in Kakadu to reconnect. And I would go on a landscombing ‘artragious’ adventure with my 10 year old daughter—sketchbooks in hand—to collect and draw inspiration from nature.

Q: If this exhibition—Botanically Porcelain—will be seen by lots of inter-state visitors and those travelling through the Katherine Region. What are a few things you want them to take home with them after a visit to Godinymayin?

A: That the Northern Territory is culturally rich and diverse. We are far enough from the other capitals and main metropolitan centres not to be overly influenced by what they are up to, and that generates the freedom to be unique.  There are deep cultural roots and learning opportunities here. The Territory is full of natural beauty and provides opportunities to connect with our environment. And our regional areas are characterful and are worth taking time to explore.

Q: What is your dream of happiness?

A: My rented studio is my happy place; but I would love to own a permanent studio of my own with a series of kilns and enough space to create vast breathtakingly ambitious projects. I’d have other artists popping in for residencies, collaborative works and exciting group projects. It would be a vibrant breeding ground for innovation and invention!