PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Iona Rowland
T: 020 3653 0896
E: iona@parkerharris.co.uk
JOURNEYS: AN EXHIBITION OF SCULPTURE
SHONA NUNAN/ MICHAEL CARTWRIGHT/ SOLLAI CARTWRIGHT/
JACOB CARTWRIGHT
6 - 16 June 2018, Australia House, London
By appointment 17 - 29 June 2018
Journeys is an exhibition of sculpture at Australia House, London, which will
see Australian-born Shona Nunan and Michael Francis Cartwright, along with their
sons Sollai and Jacob Cartwright, present their sculptures together for the very
first time. The works, though diverse in terms of materials and aesthetic, are
united by a commentary on, and celebration of life, nature and the universe.
Collectively, they encourage viewers to consider the myriad of journeys that have
informed the sculptures; the journey of the works themselves, from raw material
through to creation; but also the journey of a family of sculptors who have
continued to inspire one another, whilst developing highly idiosyncratic bodies of
work. This exhibition forms part of a year-long programme the Australian High
Commission is delivering to mark the centenary of the opening of Australia House.
Shona Nunan, Bei Wu artist residency studio, Germany
Shona Nunan will be presenting new sculptures cast in bronze, based on her
earlier Guardian and Woman series. Earth Mother, a figurative piece, depicting an
“earth-mother and governor of life” follows a spiral motif, acknowledging the cycle
of evolving nature. Speaking of the importance of the spiral, the artist said “it
unifies us, reminding us of the earth, its cycles and its beginnings...it connects
our diverse cultures through place and being.” Selected works also include two
large Guardian figures, Harvest Figure and Sentinel, the latter, a female form
conceived from the shapes of an ancient sword.
Michael Francis Cartwright will be showing a wide range of sculptures, some
have been modelled, others carved, each exploring ideas around freedom and our
place in the universe. The artist has utilised traditional mediums such as bronze,
marble and sterling silver to create intuitive, organic forms, “classic materials
executed with a freshness”, Cartwright says. Amongst the exhibited works are
Moon Dance, a monumental polished bronze figure; Reflection, a sitting bird in
abstract form; Astronomer Looking into The Night Sky, and a new series of
landscape sculptures inspired by Montefegatessi and Prato Fiorito, both close to
the Cartwrights’ studios in Italy.
Michael Cartwright modeling Moon Dance, Fonderia Versiliese, Pietrasanta
Sollai Cartwright learnt carving in Pietrasanta and now produces large scale
works from his outdoor studio in Berlin – experiencing Berlin’s “inspirational
creative community” is, for the artist, integral to developing new ideas and
facilitating experimentation. A sensitivity to and understanding of his materials is
also important - the artist said that when carving marble, he “seeks a connectivity
with the stone” and wants to “further explore the relationship between form and
light.” For Cartwright, the exhibited works present the journey of a sculpture as
Sollai Cartwright working in his Berlin studio
Jacob Cartwright rasping at his sculpture studio in Pietrasanta
one without end, they evoke a sense of movement and fluidity, intended to
engage artist and viewer alike.
Jacob Cartwright’s practice is improvisatory and often collaborative – he riffs
between mediums and practices, from marble and wood to sound and
photography; his intention is to reflect the present and “to do now, to be now”. He
says “this game of grasping at the essence of creativity, is an ever-shifting
meditation. My resulting pieces are artefacts of my attempts.” The artist will
present his Canoe Lake series at Australia House; each piece underlines the
importance of boats for journeys and navigation, both physical and metaphorical.
The artist said “they (boats) have moved our homes, been our homes and taken
us to new ones. They have been our hope for safety or a new life, they have and
continue to be, vessels of dreams.”
Journeys is supported by the Australian High Commission and the Sidney Nolan
Trust. A selection of Sidney Nolan’s paintings, previously exhibited as part of
Unseen at Australia House, London, will be included in the exhibition.
Notes to editors
Title: Journeys: Shona Nunan/ Michael Cartwright/ Sollai Cartwright/
Jacob Cartwright
Dates: 6 – 16 June 2018 & 17 – 29 June 2018 by appointment only
Address: Strand, London WC2B 4LA
Opening Times: Mon-Fri from 9am-5pm
Admission: Free
Nearest Tube: Temple or Charing Cross
Website: nunan-cartwright.com
Twitter/Instagram: @NunanCartwright/ @nunan.cartwright.art
Artist Biographies
Shona Nunan has been a practicing artist for over 35 years and works from her studios
in Tuscany, Italy and Provence, France. Artist residencies include Cill Rialaig – Ireland;
Mas des Graviers, Provence and Bei Wu in Germany. She has exhibited widely throughout
her career and is represented by Sandra Walters, Hong Kong; Mossgreen Gallery,
Australia and Kuan’s Living in Taiwan and China. Recent commissions include two major
Guardian figures for Swires, Hong Kong; a memorial piece for a collector (produced in
collaboration with Michael Cartwright); and two commissioned sculptures for Bei Wu
Sculpture Park in Germany. www.nunan-cartwright.com
Michael Francis Cartwright works from his studios in Tuscany, Italy and Provence,
France, both shared with artist (and partner) Shona Nunan. He first began painting in his
father’s studio in Australia and in 1980 worked as studio assistant to Stuart Ross,
previously assistant to Henry Moore. The artist went on to learn marble carving in
Carrara, Italy and upon returning to Australia exhibited extensively in New South Wales
and Victoria. He was also active in and elected Director of the Artist Group Castlemaine
inc. Artist residencies include Mas des Graviers, France; Cill Rialaig, Ireland; Port
Moresby University, PNG; CIS, Hong Kong; Yew Cheung Foundation, Hong Kong and Bei
Wu Sculpture Park, Germany. Since 1994, Cartwright has been represented in both Hong
Kong and Singapore, exhibiting across China, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. His
works are the subject of both private and public collections, with major commissions in
Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Australia, and France. www.nunan-cartwright.com
Sollai Cartwright lives and works in Berlin, Germany. He studied marble carving in
Pietrasanta, Italy and has undertaken artist residencies in Ireland, Germany and
Australia. He shows biannually with MARS Gallery, Australia and will be exhibiting new
work in the 2018 Hong Kong Art Fair, Art Central, Hong Kong. He has shown previously at
La Rondine Gallery, Italy and in 2016 unveiled a major installation entitled Ula, produced
specifically for the inauguration of Bei Wu Sculpture Park. The artist’s work is held in
collections worldwide. www.sollai.com
Jacob Cartwright works from his studio in Pietrasanta, Tuscany and has held
residiencies at Saari, Finland, Bei Wu, Germany and Le Rouret, France. He studied at the
Victorian College of the Arts, Australia and has exhibited in Italy, Brussels, Barcelona,
Finland, Germany and Hong Kong. Major exhibitions include the 2017 Biennale di
Sanccino; Cremona; La Rondine Gallery, Tuscany and Bei Wu Sculpture Park’s inaugural
group show, for which the artist produced site-specific sound sculpture, The Quiet. In
2013, he founded both the Koski Collective - a collaborative, improvisational,
performance art group, and the Bagni di Lucca Art Festival. www.jacobcartwright.com
Partners
The Sidney Nolan Trust
Sidney Nolan’s legacy in the UK is a charitable trust, which is developing the land and
buildings of The Rodd that Sidney purchased into a unique resource for artists and
musicians worldwide. The Trust is a safe non-confrontational space that provides
opportunities for self-discovery for young people from neighbouring wards of the West
Midlands conurbation. At The Rodd young people are free, even for a very short period,
from peer pressures, relationship pressures, housing pressures, family pressures and the
pressure of failure to experience latent and undiscovered talents; experiences that can
be truly life changing and through which they can discover a new ways to make
themselves heard. www.sidneynolantrust.org
The Australian High Commission, London
The Australian High Commission in London is the diplomatic mission of Australia in
the United Kingdom. It is located at Australia House, a Grade II listed building.
Opened by King George V on 3 August 1918, Australia House is the home of Australia's
first diplomatic post overseas and is the longest continuously occupied diplomatic
mission in the United Kingdom. In 2018 the Australian High Commission celebrates 100
years of Australia House. uk.embassy.gov.au