playful
2 - 29 April 2016, the gallery at City library, melbourne
Artists: Evie Barrow, Cat-Rabbit, Erica Fustero (Spain), Christina Gordon, Anna Hrachovec (USA), Tessy King, Isobel Knowles, Yiying Lee, Holly Leonardson, Misako Mimoko (Spain), Hine Mizushima (Canada), Beci Orpin, Kenny Pittock, Philippa Rice (UK), Ashley Ronning, Rosaleen Ryan, Soreureubear (Korea) and Luke Temby (CUPCO)
Curator: Sophia Cai
PLAYFUL was a group exhibition featuring leading Australian and international artists with works in soft sculpture, ceramics, textiles, toy design, animation and illustration that celebrates playfulness, imagination and creativity. The exhibition was curated for the Melbourne Library Service, City of Melbourne, to celebrate National Youth Week 2016.
PLAYFUL was an exhibition that encouraged fun and play. During the month of April, the exhibition also hosted a series of four curated workshops with artists Beci Orpin, Kenny Pittock, Luke Temby and Holly Leonardson to learn to sew, sketch, make and cut your own works of art.
Local small press Helio Press and Sophia Cai also produced limited edition catalogues for the exhibition that feature colouring pages by more than ten artists. Last but not least, the exhibition was also home to the exclusive PLAYFUL Gashapon toy vending machines, co-curated by Rosaleen Ryan, featuring small artworks by all the exhibiting artists. For as little as $2 visitors were able to bring a small part of the exhibition home.
Click here to read the exhibition essay
Click here to purchase a colouring book
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Playful Artist Workshops, Saturday 9 April 2016, 11am - 3pm
In conjunction with the exhibition PLAYFUL curated by Sophia Cai, join us at City Library for a series of FREE drop-in artist workshops. Workshops are for ages 15+
11am-1pm Hand Sewing with Luke Temby: Come and make a voodoo doll pin cushion of YOUR OWN HEAD! Master sewing man CUPCO!? (Luke Temby) helps you to design, decorate and sew your own face into a handy voodoo pin cushion to aid in your future sewing adventures!!
1pm-3pm Play with Paper with Beci Orpin: Make colour paper collages using with Beci, using her signature geometric shapes, paint, photocopies, pattern and cut paper.
Playful Artist Workshops, Saturday 16 April 2016, 11am - 3pm
In conjunction with the exhibition PLAYFUL curated by Sophia Cai, join us at City Library for a series of FREE drop-in artist workshops. Workshops are for ages 15+
11am-1pm New Jewellery with Holly Leonardson: Decorate an oversize pendant designed by Holly with your favourite patterns and colours using paint markers, then combine with your choice of cord and an assortment of beads that we will re-purpose from old jewellery to make a bold, fresh new necklace!
1pm-3pm Draw in the Library with Kenny Pittock: Learn how to make drawings using all your favourite characters from books and movies, including the cat in the Hat trying on new hats, a Storm Trooper hiding from a storm under an umbrella, Winnie the Pooh on the toilet, George Jetson suffering jet lag, Where's Wally trying to find Nemo, and Yogi Bear doing yoga while eating Yogo. Lots of fun for people of all ages and drawing abilities.