Continuing Art Pharmacy’s long partnership with Dexus, we curated a collection of art gifts to welcome new tenants to 80 Collins, and ensure their move is one to remember.
Alongside the management team and CRAFT Victoria, Art Pharmacy have commissioned a unique welcome gift program of handmade functional art objects from a range of local craftspeople and artists. These pieces have been curated to build on the art overlay and colours, forms and textures that run through the 80 Collins built environment.
We developed an ‘Artwork Lookbook’ that showcased the works by five local ceramic artists that new tenants could choose as their gift. Among these artists included Sharon Alpren, Simone Karras, Lene Kuhl Jakobsen, Tracy Muirhead and Thomas Yeend. We packaged the artworks in beautifully wrapped boxes ready making them a truly unique token to be remembered.
About the Artists
Sharon Alpren
Sharon first began to work with clay in the Australian outback where she discovered a natural affinity for the medium. Influenced by the colours and forms of the surrounding landscape, her work is known for its earthy palettes and textures. Now residing in Melbourne, her high fired stoneware pieces are both sculptural and functional. Intrigued by the processes of making and the nature of ceramic materials, she allows the characteristics inherent in the clay, the glaze and the fire to direct her work. Constantly experimenting with glazes and finishes, Alpren uses a reduction atmosphere which creates a brilliant variety of tones in the clay and texture in the glaze.
Simone Karras
Simone is a Melbourne-based ceramicist who has been practising for over 20 years. She employs a mix of hand-building techniques to create pieces that explore texture and scale. The appealing minimalism of Simone’s vessels can sometimes belie the complexity that goes into creating them; each one having been painstakingly crafted using a coiling technique. This approach permits Simone to organically shape the contours and character of each piece.
Lene Kuhl Jakobsen
Born born in Denmark and originally studying at the Kolding School of Arts & Crafts in the ‘70s before moving to Australia in 1985, Victorian potter Lene Kuhl Jakobsen has a rich practice, exhibiting in numerous exhibitions both in Australia and overseas. Skilfully throwing all her work on the pottery wheel, Lene is interested in exploring the creative potentials of clay. Experimenting with forms, glazes, and decorative techniques, she is inspired to make ceramic pieces of natural beauty, which can be used and enjoyed by others.
Tracy Muirhead
Born in South Africa, Tracy Muirhead now lives in the leafy, outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. She is passionate about clay, but tries to manipulate it as little as possible, allowing it to find its own expression. Hand building allows her to explore and
experiment with endless possibilities when clay is stretched and torn orsquished and pierced. Many of her pieces are the result of this playful process of discovery. The final part of the creative process is finding how each piece relates to, or is enhanced by, its counterpart and how it will augment a living space.
Thomas Yeend Design
Founded in 2016, Thomas Yeend Design began with an interest in the potential of combining modern digital craft technologies, such as 3D modelling and printing, with traditional blown and cast glass processes, producing work with a unique focus on user interaction and the tactile nature of glass as a material. Pairing these interests with an undying love of the Bauhaus and Memphis design movements, Thomas Yeend Design combines basic block colours and simple minimalist forms, with traditional hand-blown and cast glass processes. Thomas’ ultimate mission is to produce high-quality, locally handcrafted design work which possesses a distinct, signature aesthetic, perfectly fusing style with fun.
Supporting local makers through COVID, this was a special and unique way to welcome people to the building and back to the office after COVID-19 restrictions. Art can be a fantastic way to engage tenants, staff members and develop a strong community all while supporting local artists.
