Online exhibition sows the Seeds of Our City

CPAC, Svetlana Panov, Deep In The Soul, (2018)Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC) have collaborated with globally renowned design and engineering firm Arup to present a free 3D virtual exhibition, Seeds of Our City. Fortifying the connection between Western Sydney and the city, the exhibition showcases the works of three acclaimed Western Sydney artists online from the Arup Gallery in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.

Focused on creating vibrant, sustainable urban spaces, Arup is behind some of Sydney’s most eye-catching and architecturally stunning buildings, including the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Gehry-designed Dr Chau Chak Wing Building for UTS, and the award-winning Green Square Library.

Seeds of Our City aims to ignite conversation on our vital connection to nature, our growing urban footprint, the increasingly adverse effects of climate change, and the loss of species and habitats.

“In an increasingly concrete jungle, this exhibition is our way of contributing a little bit of soul and liveliness back into Sydney,” said CPAC Director Craig Donarski. “The talented artists we’ve selected are well-known for crafting highly organic works that are brimming with life – from living, breathing terrarium art pieces, to woven designs drawn entirely from natural resources and materials, to intricate clay creations evoking the distinct textures of the Casula Parklands.”

A well-known urban forager and wild food advocate, artist Diego Bonetto will explore the idea of connection to the natural environment with large-scale living terrarium art pieces. Created by transporting soil samples from different sites, Bonetto unearths hidden stories from the land’s history while shining light on the vibrant life that thrives there.

Award-winning Indigenous artist Aunty Kerrie Kenton’s work draws from her deep kinship with the land. As a Wategora woman of the Darug and Dunghutti Nations, Kenton’s work is representational of her ancestral lands and woven handiworks with materials sourced entirely from natural resources.

An emerging talent discovered at Casula Powerhouse own Ceramics studio, Svetlana Panov pays tribute to Casula and its surrounds with intricately handcrafted ceramics inspired by the natural textures found in the local Parklands – from aquatic life and landscapes, to clusters of golden fungi and local plantlife.

“With our partners, we are seeking to highlight our mission to meet global issues in our own local context – through the joy of creativity in art,” said Arup NSW Business Leader, David Harding. “This partnership with CPAC and Liverpool City Council was envisaged as a symbolic bridge to our City’s Greater West to raise awareness of the great cultural and natural diversity that exists in Greater Sydney.”

For more information and to virtually walk through the exhibition space and take in the artworks, visit: www.arup.com For more information about the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, visit: www.casulapowerhouse.com for details.

Image: Svetlana Panov, Deep In The Soul, (2018). Porcelain clay, underglaze and glaze (supplied)