The Handwise Project: Handwise I, John Paynter Gallery, 2008

Saturday

Handwise I, John Paynter Gallery, 2008

22 February - 9 March 2008

Belinda Howden
Ahn Wells
Soozie Coumbe
Niomi Sands
Anna King
Emma-Lee Crane
Olivia Parsonage
Jessica Coughlin

Handwise I was held in 2008 at John Paynter Gallery, 90 Hunter St, Newcastle. Wells organised the exhibition and participated as an artist. Soozie Combe, Jessica Coughlan, Emma-Lee Crane, Belinda Howden, Anna King, Olivia Parsonage and Niomi Sands also showed their work which included woven twigs, crocheted copperwire, a giant material fork and a film of a sewing machine popping bubble wrap.

Newcastle (Australia) based artist Ahn Wells started the Handwise exhibitions with the idea to explore the concept of making artworks which are based on fibre/textile materials and/or techniques. The aim of these exhibitions is to widen audiences expectations and appreciation of what fibre/textile art is and can be within a contemporary context. To date, the Handwise exhibitions have been exhibited at local artist-run galleries annually since 2008.

From 2013, Wells has decided to continue with The Handwise Project but each year the concept will change. This year, artists have been asked to make new works, using any medium, and any size. The only restriction placed on each artist was that the works must be installed directly into the gallery walls, floors or ceiling of the gallery.