6 August 2020

Shepparton Art Museum is thrilled to be partnering with Melbourne based gallery pépite, to bring emerging contemporary art and design artists to the popular SAM Showcase exhibition space.

The Showcase series at SAM is designed to support object artists in the development of their work, the opportunity to hold an exhibition in a gallery setting, and to enable the public to purchase works from a diverse range of exciting creators.

This is the third in a series of partnerships we have developed with other leading contemporary organisations focusing on supporting and showcasing artists and creatives – first with Mr Kitley, second with Craft, and now pépite. Each is designed to grow SAM’s links with like-minded organisations, their audiences and stable of artists. For our partner, it is a unique opportunity for their artists to show and present in regional Victoria, and for SAM, to bring new and emerging talent to Shepparton’s doorstep. 

“SAM Showcase is such an important space at SAM, as it enables us to support creativity through our makers and designers. It provides an opportunity for collectors and design enthusiasts to admire and purchase unique pieces from Australian artists,” says SAM Director Dr Rebecca Coates. “We are so pleased to partner with pépite, as we share a similar vision when it comes to lifting up and sharing the sensational work that is produced by our artistic community,” Dr Coates explains.

Representing more than 40 emerging contemporary artists from their Melbourne based showroom, pépite features a collection of one-of-a kind and limited edition works, predominantly ceramics, alongside sculpture, glass pieces, illustration, jewellery and accessories.

Every object and happening at pépite has been curated by founder Irina Rybakov. Irina is committed to supporting local talent and has been involved in Melbourne’s creative scene since she moved to Melbourne 10 years ago (from Lyon, France). After having spent a few years working with frankie magazine, Craft Victoria and The Big Design Market, Irina founded pépite in 2017 to follow her passion for contemporary art and design.

“I’m looking forward to be working with such a respected institution on creating three outstanding showcases of local talent, and present fresh and interesting new works to SAM’s visitors and supporters,” says pépite founder Irina Rybakov. “This partnership with SAM will be an opportunity to provide an additional platform to our emerging artists to experiment and create new work, present their practice to a wider audience and have their pieces exhibited alongside SAM’s exceptional collection of ceramic works by leading artists. It is also an exciting opportunity for SAM’s visitors to discover new talent through pépite’s wider community of emerging ceramic artists,” Irina explains.

The pépite partnership will consist of three showcase exhibitions. The first is Irene Grishin Selzeris, an Australian artist, based in Melbourne, who works predominantly with ceramics.  Her art practice engages with the notion of transience in nature, the shape of time and the sense of place.

Her practice takes two separate, but interconnected forms. The first is the clay paintings and clay drawings, the second is object-based pieces. The clay paintings can be regarded as a form of abstracted cartography-sprawling maps where scale is difficult to fathom, but we encounter pockets of energy, the movement of tides, electromagnetic waves and the build-up of deeply encrusted topographical layers. The object-based pieces may be thought of as individual points of focus, tiny areas of exploration, sandwiched cross-sections that pierce the surface or enigmatic relics and artefacts that carry the traces of ancient forms of spiritual energy.

SAM Showcase #26: Irene Grishin Selzeris.

25 June – 1 September 2020

at SAM.