Cathy Franzi
Location
Canberra, Australia
About
Dr Cathy Franzi is a visual artist with an interdisciplinary practice in ceramics and botanical sciences.
In 2015 she was awarded a PhD (Ceramics) from the ANU with her topic, an Australian botanical narrative: a practice-led enquiry into representations of Australian flora on the ceramic vessel as an
expression of environmental culture. Her research is informed by a Bachelor Science and engagement with botanical institutions, such as the National Seed Bank and the ANU Research School of Biology.
Residencies form an important part of her practice, enabling her to research specific locations, to engage with science professionals, to study endemic plants and environmental issues. In 2023 she was artist-in-residence at Vancouver Arts Centre in Albany WA where she focused on Stirling Range National Park and in 2024 she was artist-in-residence at Cairns Botanic Gardens.
Franzi’s work is held in national and international public collections including Grassi Museum of Applied Arts in Leipzig, Germany, Shepparton Art Museum and Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery. She has held 17 solo exhibitions and participated in over 30 group exhibitions, is former President of The Australian Ceramics Association and was a lecturer in Ceramics at the ANU School of Art & Design.
Artist Statement
Dr Cathy Franzi will outline her interdisciplinary practice in botanical science and ceramics, and how she has developed strong relationships with scientists through institutional connections and artist residencies. She will talk about three recent projects in three very different locations: the southwest of Western Australia through a residency at Vancouver Arts Centre in Albany, the Australian Alps as part of the seed collecting team with the National Seed Bank, and Tropical North Queensland through an
artist residency at Cairns Botanic Gardens.
Botanical research is fundamental to the integrity of Franzi’s work and stems from her first degree in science. Her engagement with local botanical networks enables contact with scientists and threatened species officers when travelling to locations during artist residencies, facilitating interdisciplinary research and collaborations. She will describe how the means of research in botanical sciences inspires and informs her making in the ceramic studio.
The outcomes of the three projects will be discussed including artwork derived from research in Stirling Range NP in WA in a solo exhibition On the Edge/ am Rande with Michael Reid Berlin and
Berlin Design Week, with two works acquired by the Grassi Museum of Applied Art in Leipzig, Germany.