OBSERVER: Arts Column with Peter Kemp
Baanj Dayang (Rakali) is a sculpture by indigenous artist Aunty Kim Wandin and Christine Joy featuring a pair of local rakali (water rats), playfully emerging and returning to the water.
Ripples etched in concentric circles symbolise the rakali’s eternal connection to place, as a significant entity in Aboriginal culture.
This public artwork celebrates ‘indigenous Cultural Heritage’ together with local marine life and biodiversity of Port Phillip Bay at the redevelopment Mentone Lifesaving Club.
The work features a combination of bronze, glass and concrete. The design team worked with Wathaurong Glass, an Aboriginal glass company to design he glass elements which feature Aboriginal iconography depicting rakali footprints and journey lines.
The bronze rakali are life-size presenting the rakali’s interactions with their aquatic environment.
Baanj Dayang (Rakali) Wilam
Mentone Lifesaving Club
Beach Boardwalk Mentone
Rhys Lee
Two & a Jalf Coats of Paint –
Rhys Lee
Rhys Lee has held solo exhibitions since 2000 in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and internationally in New York, Los Angeles, Germany, Greece, Belgium, France, Thailand and New Zealand.
His work has been included in group exhibitions at Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne (2029), the Ian Potter Museum Melbourne (2015), the Archibald Prize at he Art Gallery of New South Wales (2012), Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery(2011) and many more.
Exhibition closes March 15.
Nicholas Gallery
155 Langridge St, Collingwood
9 by 5
9 by 5 Exhibition
Discover the creativity of over 200 artists at the 9 by 5 Exhibition returning for its 17th year in 2025.
This modern take on the iconic 1889 Melbourne exhibition reimagines the tradition of creating art on nine by five cigar box lids, as pioneered by Australian artists Tom Roberts, Charles Conder, Arthur Streeton and Frederick McCubbin.
Arts in Greater Dandenong’s nationally celebrated interpretation showcases the incredible diversity of the arts community, demonstrating how small-scale works can deliver a profound impact
Featuring a vibrant mix of painting, photography, and more, this exhibition invites artists of all experience levels to present their unique vision, each confined to the compact dimensions of 9by 5 inches (22.86cm by 12.7 cm)|
Exhibition closes May 2. Open Minday – Friday 10am – 4pm, Saturday’s Openings March 8, March 22, and April 5. 10.30am – 2.30pm. .
Drum Theatre foyer
22 Lonsdale St, Dandenong
Resilience
Discover the beauty, resilience and spirit of Ukrainian at the Ukrainian art exhibition, running from Monday April 7 until Sunday April 13. This unique showcase brings together stunning works by talented Ukrainian artists, including paintings, folk art and traditional crafts that reflect Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage.
Ukrainian Art Exhibition
Ukrainian Community Centre
26 Chancler Rd, Noble Park
- Peter Kemp
TarraWarra
TarraWarra Museum of Art, located in the Yarra Valley, opens the doors publicly to its new building, the Eva and Marc Besen Centre, from this week.
The Centre is a dedicated place of learning and creative inspiration for all ages, utilising flexible and adaptable spaces to deliver a diverse array of events including exhibitions, educational workshops, talks, lectures, performances, classical music concerts and live arts events.
The new Centre provides visible access to more than 300 stored artworks from the TarraWarra Museum of Art permanent collection, providing a panoramic display of iconic artworks gifted to the nation by renowned philanthropists, the late Eva Besen and Marc Besen.
During the opening weekend, on Saturday(Mar. 8), the Centre will be activated by a full program of activities in partnership with Arts Project Australia, celebrating the final few days of the exhibition Intimate Imaginaries, curated by Anthony Fitzpatrick.
The day-long event Rhythms of the Handmade will feature talks, live artist demonstrations and family-friendly making activities.
The festivities will continue until the end of March as TarraWarra Museum of Art’s new centre comes alive with behind-the-scenes tours, weekend activities for children to explore the surrounds, creative making-tables for all ages based on artworks by Kate Beynon and Rosalie Gascoigne, and performances by musicians.
Adjacent to the TarraWarra Museum of Art and embedded within the landscape of the Yarra Valley, the new 2205-square-metre Centre was designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects, with landscape design by OCULUS and Wurundjeri horticulturalist and artist Craig Murphy-Wandin.