AT THE MUSEUM
WHILE THESE STRIKING CERAMICS ARE ULTRA-CONTEMPORARY, THEY HAVE A CENTURIES-OLD HERITAGE.
BORN IN THAILAND, Vipoo Srivilasa arrived in Australia in 1997, aged 18. He studied ceramics in Bangkok and Australia, and his work, like that of many artists coming to Australia from all over the world, brings together ancient and modern traditions. Working in porcelain and especially with blue painted decoration, Vipoo’s ceramics remind us of Chinese porcelains first made in the 14th century.
The taste for blue and white spread throughout Asia and examples were eagerly collected in Europe. It was not until the 16th century that Italian, Dutch and English potters began to imitate Chinese porcelains, and not until the early 18th century that porcelain was successfully made in Europe.
Vipoo’s #happy_together VI (2017) draws much of its inspiration from Star Wars fantasy, and probably the Teletubbies. There is nothing frightening about these figures. They are different – from another planet, but welcoming, and perhaps that is a comment upon a modern society in which most of us come from another culture.
The Wollongong Art Gallery has a small collection of Asian ceramics, including blue-and-white porcelain from China. In acquiring this work by Vipoo, and others by Danie Mellor and Stephen Benwell, the collection demonstrates not just ceramic traditions from around the world, but also the inventive nature of contemporary artists working in clay. Wollongong Art Gallery, Corner Kembla and Burelli Sts, Wollongong, NSW, (02) 4227 8500, wollongongartgallery.com