Dirt Feeling
3 October – 7 December
John Curtin Gallery
Glenn Barkley, Joan Campbell, Pippin Drysdale, Penny Evans, Judith Pungarta Inkamala, Eileen Keys, Warrick Palmateer, Josina Pumani, Hiroe Swen, Angela Valamanesh, and many more.
Attuning to the sensual, plastic qualities of clay, along with the development of ceramics as both functional objects, and symbol of power and privilege, Dirt Feeling explores inherent dichotomies within this fascinating medium. Through the alchemy of vitrification, base materials (with all their associations of excrement and death) are transformed into commodities of beauty in the hands of skilled practitioners. Dirt Feeling reminds us of the pleasures of our senses, bringing us back to our bodies, to a felt reality.
Drawing from the Curtin University Art Collection, the exhibition features artworks dating across the history of the University, from WAIT’s inception in 1960s to the present day.
Image Credit: Josina Pumani, Maralinga, 2024, hand-built stoneware, underglaze, 40 x 35 cm.
Curtin UniversityArt Collection, purchased 2025. Courtesy of the artist and APY Galleries.
Image courtesy of the Jam Factory, Adelaide.
Photographer: Conner Patterson
John Curtin Gallery
John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley WA, Australia