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Terra Anima - Avital Sheffer

Official Opening: Tuesday 21 July, 6 to 8pm

Floor Talk Sunday 19 July 12.30pm

Artist Statement:
My work is informed by an investigation of my Middle Eastern and Jewish heritage and an ongoing engagement with the landscape, architecture, languages and wisdom of that part of the world, and that way of being in the world. The world of antiquity, in its diversities and dichotomies, is a passion and an infinite source of inspiration. Ancient ceramics, glass, metal ware and calligraphy employ universal aesthetic principals yet reveal intimate aspects of human idiosyncrasies and needs that are relevant to the present. I am interested in the frayed edges of religions and mythologies, where dialogue and cross-fertilization with other cultures takes place. Personal experiences of conflict, migration, dislocation and renewal intersect with the dilemmas between traditions and modernity.

I am challenged and fascinated by the materiality and discipline of clay, and the mysterious unpredictability of its nature. The act of making is a constant negotiation between creating a new entity and uncovering that which already exists, hidden within the folds of the material, governed by elemental principles. Through these slow processes, I Endeavour to reveal forms and surfaces that evoke a sense of history, while carrying narratives that transcend the temporal.

Directions from National Art School:

Robin Gibson Gallery, 278 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst. [2 min walk]
Walk out the Burton St exit, cross the road and turn left. Walk along and turn right into Forbes St, keep going to Liverpool St. Turn right into Liverpool St. 278 is about halfway along the block on the left hand side.
 

 Avital Sheffer, Seter IV & V, 2008