Brisbane's Up And Coming Artists Display Work In Shadow Of G20

Details: By Nick Atkins; Oct 13

Our eclectic team of writers from around Australia – and a couple beyond – with decades of combined experience and interest in all fields.

13 October 2014

As the eyes of the world turn towards Brisbane for the G20 summit, some of the city’s freshest emerging artists will be introducing themselves to the creative arts community of South-East Queensland.

© Harry Sillett

Graduates of TAFE Queensland Brisbane’s Advanced Diploma program will be launching their end of semester show 'Threads' just metres from where the world’s most important leaders will gather only days later.

Event organiser and artist Harry Sillett hopes the proximity to the G20 will lend the event an exhilarating atmosphere. “The whole world is going to be focused on the area at that time. It'll be interesting to gauge what the energy is going to be like in the area. We are just excited and hoping that there'll be a bit of a buzz around and a few extra people in the area.”

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© Harry Sillett

There are 12 artists exhibiting, including painters, ceramicists and digital artists, all shown side by side at the gallery space at the TAFE campus in Southbank. “We've been studying together for a couple of years. We all have different practices but we are all coming together so that's where the idea of 'Threads' comes from – we are all being threaded together.”

“There are some really cool artists from all over Queensland and all over the world. There's a guy called Alex Freitas who does these crazy little wooden sculptures and a girl called Hannah Keegan who's a tattoo artist and she does these beautiful watercolours. I think it's just going to blow people away,” Harry enthuses.

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© Hannah Keegan

Far from being perceived as a 'big country town' Harry sees Brisbane as an up and coming art centre which may one day compete with the likes of Sydney or Melbourne. “I think for young artists and emerging artists Brisbane's a really exciting place to be and there are a lot of opportunities for young artists to show their stuff, I think things are really changing and it's really exciting.”

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