SYDNEY.- Two excellent new exhibitions have just opened at Sullivan+Strumpf Sydney; and although the gallery is currently closed due to lockdown orders, these shows are wonderfully brought to life in the carefully curated Sullivan+Strumpf online Viewing Room.

Kirsten Coelho, There on the other shore
On now, until Saturday October 2

Kirsten Coelho, There on the other shore, marks the Sullivan+Strumpf solo debut of one of Australia’s finest ceramic artists.

Renowned for her porcelain vessels “of other-worldly perfection”, Coelho’s work is has been influenced by the history of ceramics, in particular the aging surfaces of nineteenth and early twentieth-century domestic enamel wares such as jugs, flask, bowls, beakers; echoes of the pleasures of daily life which she reiterates in inviolate meditations on the history, purity and order of daily rituals and routines.

In this latest exhibition she brings together five different porcelain clay bodies; using her handmade objects to explore ideas - both metaphoric and real - of journey, transformation and longing.

Visit the Sullivan+Strumpf viewing room here by entering your name and email address, to access: a Vimeo exhibition walkthrough of the exhibition plus stunning detail photography of the artworks and written commentary; and bonus materials including a behind the scenes Vimeo presentation by Kirsten at work in her Adelaide studio, in-situ photography capturing her making processes, and an essay by Sydney based arts writer and researcher Emma O’Neill.




Jemima Wyman, Fume
On now, until Saturday October 2

Jemima Wyman, Fume, is an exceptional exhibition, from LA-based Brisbane artist and Palawa woman, Jemima Wyman.

An important body of work expanding Wyman’s photo collage practice, and continuing her investigation into the use of camouflage as a visual and psychological device related to power, this stunning collection was created in 2020 - a time marked by incredible social and political upheaval; coming together as a highly intelligent and timely commentary on current global discontent, and the underlying hope for change.

Fume comprises three series of collage artworks, – Billow, Haze and Plume, created from actual images documenting global activism that Wyman had accumulated. Printing, hand-cutting and arranging them to recreate scenes from recent protests, featuring plumes of smoke from flares, fires or deterrents.

The Haze… series weaves images of smoke together to form nebulous landscapes (or smokescapes) that mimic the abstract shapes found in camouflage textiles.

The multiple works titled Plume… feature smoke formations trapped and hovering within the frame. Like signals of distress, they emanate from the ground up and are all different in shape and colour.

Smoke is reflected and symmetrical in the Billow… series. Forming a pattern from a distance and revealing shadows and debris from conflict up close.

Visit the Sullivan+Strumpf Fume viewing room here by entering your name and email address, to access: a series of Vimeo exhibition walkthroughs narrated by Jemima Wyman, plus stunning detail photography of the artworks, written commentary, and an essay by Brisbane based arts writer and curator Tim Riley Walsh.