#SAMOurPastOurFuture
‘My first experience of SAM was when I came out to install the very first Drawing Wall in 2010, when I was an emerging artist. My wall drawing for SAM in some ways has many connections to the work I am making now. At the time I was interested in pattern, colour and repetition and I decided upon a leaf motif to repeat. I liked creating rules in painting so I could easily transfer a small painting into a large mural. My recent abstract works now are very informed by lands and waters, particularly my tribal lands back home in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Ngāti Tūwharetoa iwi. I use sites as inspiration for colour palettes in abstract works and then the painting becomes dedicated to land, wairua/spirit or place. So yeah for me it’s nice to see that back in the early stages of my career I was referring to nature in my abstract works, which I’m very interested in at the moment. Since my Drawing Wall I’ve loved coming back to SAM in particular to see the Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award, many of my peers and friends have been finalists in this fantastic exhibition.’
To find out more about Renee: www.moon-unit.org/renee-cosgrave
Instagram: @reneecosgrave
‘My name is Dominika Yindi. I live in a little coastal town of Normanville on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. The first time I heard of SAM was through its beautiful shop assistant Alisha, who contacted me to ask if I would sell my pieces in SAM shop. For a largely self taught, wanna-be potter, this was so huge that I rang my mother in Prague and jumped 3m high after I googled and learned what SAM is all about. Honestly for me that felt a little like receiving an Oscar. And at the same time, petrified me!!! “Do they even know I am just a wanna be?” I kept thinking…”When they receive my pieces, surely they will realise it and never order again?” But they did and I am ever so grateful for this special connection and support of my making. I am yet to visit SAM in person and I cannot wait! Perhaps it’s meant to be just for the opening of the new SAM. Loading the caravan with my husband and 4 children and having a little pilgrimage to a very significant museum for every Australian potter seems like an amazing reason. Seeing my works at the shop will probably freak me out but hopefully make my children proud of their crazy mama who persists to save herself from trouble by creating.’