23 May 2014

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is delighted to announce the winners of the Indigenous Ceramic Art Award (ICAA), the premier national award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists working in ceramics. First prize recipients are the Bankstown Koori Elders Group for their work After The Rain, Bungle Bungle. The collective of artists who meet weekly at Sydney’s Condell Park, will share the $20,000 acquisitive prize.

First prize recipients are the Bankstown Koori Elders Group for their work After The Rain, Bungle Bungle. The collective of artists who meet weekly at Sydney's Condell Park, will share the $20,000 acquisitive prize.

The $10,000 second prize has been awarded to Alison Milyika Carroll, a Pitjantjatjara artist for her work Ngayuku Walka.

The $3,000 acquisitive Encouragement award for a Victorian artist has been awarded to Robyne Latham, a Yamatji woman from Western Australia, who has lived in Melbourne for the past 28 years. In the work PODS3, Robyne references the lynching of Aboriginal men for providing bush tucker for their families.

Three Special Acquisition Prizes have also been awarded to Tanya Flower, Shauna Colin and Anne Thompson.

SAM Director Kirsten Paisley commented:

‘We were very impressed with the scale and collaborative nature of the Bankstown Koori Elders Group and intrigued by the way in which they had come together from various cultural and language groups to conceive and beautifully resolve a single vision of the remote landscape of the Bungle Bungles. The vibrant crystal blue glaze depicting rock-pools created after the rain is evocative of a remarkable place in Australia and shares their appreciation for the ancient rock formations there. From Ernabella in remote South Australia, Milyika Carroll's large pot is absolutely divine, the back glaze sparkles at all its edges where she has carved into the surface joyous designs which she refers to in the title as simply Ngayuku Walka, meaning `my mark'. We were moved by the hand working of this traditional, coil -built pot, a strong and voluminous female form which is proudly inscribed with the artists own marks. Robyne's work depicts three seed pods rejuvenating after fire. ‘PODS3' have been burnished and raku fired leaving the beautiful marks of fire all over the surface. They have an irrepressible personality, and act as a powerful metaphor for life after fire and the rejuvenation Aboriginal people and cultural forms.

The ICAA celebrates and supports the rich, vibrant and diverse use of the ceramic medium by Indigenous artists. The winning works were selected from 22 shortlisted artists from across Australia, including Adelaide; Melbourne; Ernabella; Cairns; Torres Strait Islands; Bankstown, Sydney and Victoria. The award winners were announced at the official opening of the exhibition on Saturday 24 May at 4pm, following a Public Forum on Indigenous Art and Ceramics as part of the Indigenous Ceramic Art Award Cultural Weekend.

The 2014 Indigenous Ceramic Art Award is funded by the Sir Andrew and Lady Fairley Foundation, Margaret Lawrence Bequest Perpetual Trustees, Mr Allan Myers AO QC, S.J. Rothfield Family Fund and Greater Shepparton City Council.
The 2014 ICAA exhibition along with a solo exhibition by Melbourne-based artist, Bindi Cole, titled Bindi Cole: I Am is now showing until 10 August 2014 at the Shepparton Art Museum, Victoria.

1st prize
Bankstown Koori Elders Group, After The Rain, Bungle Bungle 2013
ceramic on MDF board 39.5 x 93 x 197 x 487 cm

2nd Prize
Alison Milyika Carroll, Ngayuku Walka 2014
ceramic 54 x 29 x 30 cm

Victorian Prize
Robyn Latham, PODS3 2014
terracotta 20 x 35 x 35 x 90 cm each

Shepparton Art Museum is proudly provided by Greater Shepparton City Council, located at 70 Welsford Street, Shepparton. For general enquiries and bookings please contact: (03) 5832 9861, email art.museum@shepparton.vic.gov.au, or visit www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au. Open 7 days, 10am to 4pm, public holidays 1pm to 4pm. SAM is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @SAM_Shepparton.