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In Flight
In Flight
In Flight
In Flight
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2014

In Flight

Nicky Parras (NSW)

Artist Statement

In Flight is based on the flight of refugees and asylum seekers to Australia. After working with refugees and asylum seekers for many years I was exposed to personal stories of trauma, torture and tragedy. Their painful accounts had a profound effect on me and in empathy I found myself vicariously suffering many of their symptoms. This work is about the moment someone flees.

To capture the mythology of a safe place I decided to incorporate the Australiana style of the 50's and 60's. The Roo is a symbol only associated with Australia and Australia often represents a place of safety. To achieve this, the techniques I have used include hand building, carving, coil making, slip casting and press moulding in porcelain from handmade plaster casts. For the surface of the sculpture I have used a matt white glaze.

About the Artist

I am a ceramic artist, living and working in Sydney. I completed my Bachelor of Education in Art at the City Art Institute (COFA) in 1989. In 1994 I completed an apprenticeship in ceramics in Santorini, Greece. I worked as a visual arts teacher in metropolitan and south western Sydney until 2010. In 2013 I completed a Diploma in Ceramics at the Southern Sydney Institute, Gymea, receiving the award for excellence. I work mostly in porcelain and stoneware making small sculptures.

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Materials

porcelain clay and glaze

Dimensions

24 x 25 x 8 cm

Merit

Finalist

Artist Talk

Judges

Judges of the 2014 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize: Lisa Havilah (Director of Carriageworks), Justin Miller (International Art Advisor and former Chairman of Sotheby's Australia) and Gretel Packer (Arts Patron and Trustee of the Art Gallery of NSW).

Exhibition Guide

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Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf acknowledges that we are on the land of the Gadigal and Birrabirragal people, the traditional custodians of the land. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.