Liz Williamson (1949-2024) was a revered Australian craftsperson. Since she began weaving in the 1970s, Liz dedicated herself to textiles as a creative medium. Her beautifully textured scarfs were worn proudly as an icon of Australian craft. Her exhibition work reflected a deep commitment to the power of weaving as an expression of our cultural identity. This was realised most recently in her epic Weaving Eucalyptus Project (2020) which toured Australia. Besides her own work, Liz was a prolific teacher and generous mentor. In 1997, she established textiles at the College of Fine Arts UNSW where she taught until 2020. She was also tireless in travelling around Australia and giving workshops, especially at her beloved Sturt Gallery & Studios. Beyond all this, she was a proud champion of Australian crafts, which she demonstrated when she was elected President of the World Crafts Council – Australia in 2022. In 2007, the Australian Design Centre designated Liz as an Australian Living Treasure and in 2023 she was selected for the World Crafts Council Craft Master Award.
This recent loss is a shock to all of us at World Crafts Council – Australia. We send our condolences to all those who knew her. We will share details of any upcoming events in her memory.
Australian jeweller Vicki Mason draws a crowd in the Bukhara craft festival.
How do we showcase the work of our excellent craftspersons on the world stage? Join us for an open discussion about two key international platforms for Australian craft: World Crafts Council and Homo Faber.
Everything you wanted to know about the World Crafts Council.
What is it?
How is it structured?
What does it do?
What role does Australia play in it?
How does it benefit Australian craftspersons?
How are craft products granted an Award of Excellence?
How Australian craft masters selected?
Which city will become the first Australian World Craft City?
The World Crafts Council was founded 60 years ago, prompting the creation of the Crafts Association of Australia, from which emerged all the crafts councils representing states and territories.
Join current representatives to learn about the venerable history of the organisation, its many programs, future plans and the profound experience of world craft.
Kevin Murray – Vice-President, World Crafts Council – International
Jude van der Merwe – South Pacific Vice-President (representing Australia), World Crafts Council – Asia Pacific Region
Layla Walter – South Pacific Vice-President (representing New Zealand), World Crafts Council – Asia Pacific Region
Lindy Joubert – Advisor, World Crafts Council – Asia Pacific Region
Homo Faber
Homo Faber is a guide to the world’s artisans hosted by the Michelangelo Foundation. The Australian section will be launched on 14 August.
THE TEXTILES ISSUE – contemporary Australasian Textiles
Join the World Crafts Council Australia board for an online conversation about contemporary textiles with the editors of the recent Art Monthly Australasia magazine, Julie Ewington, Anne Brennan and Blake Griffiths. Writers in The Textiles Issue explore different approaches to making, individual memory and cultural associations and teases out why textiles are so visible in contemporary cultural conversations, in exhibitions, biennials and triennials. The editors will give insights in their research and the surprises / difficulties / issues involved in making ‘The Textiles Issue’.
Julie Ewington is a curator and writer based in Sydney with a lifelong commitment to exploring work by Australian artists and a passion for textiles of many origins. She is Chair of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Arts and a member of the Board of Samstag Museum of Art.
Anne Brennan is a freelance writer who has published extensively on craft, design and the visual arts. Her long immersion in craft and design, initially as a practitioner and then as an academic in an art school, has fuelled an enduring interest in the relevance of craft’s analogue processes in a post-industrial world.
Blake Griffiths is an artist and curator with a focus on textiles. His practice is informed by a research interest in textile thinking. As an arts worker, Blake has championed regional arts practice and is the current Head of La Perouse Museum.
Join us in a discussion about the contemporary state of ceramics.
Tuesday 7 May at 3pm (AWST) and 5pm (AEST). Register here
Are ‘beauty’ and ‘ugly’ terms that have meaning in terms of contemporary craft?
Or is the term ‘sloppy craft’ more apt?
Is ‘sloppy craft’ something to consider as a vehicle to express societal activism, indigeneity, gender disparity and the reversal of traditional roles associated with craft?
Is parody and self-conscious naivety more relevant in today’s world than caring about refinement, finish, elegance, gracefulness, stylishness and ‘good taste’?
What are some of the ramifications of this shift?
What is the future for the field of ceramics?
Bernard Kerr is a West Australian ceramicist and convenor of the Australia Ceramics Triennale in 2025.
Fleur Schell is a successful ceramicist working in porcelain. Her work captures our imagination through her playful yet highly technical porcelain characters and settings.
Janet DeBoos has taught across many institutions and was recently Head of Ceramics at ANU School of Art. She has also runa production pottery, written/co-authored three books on ceramic glazes, worked within the industry in China & Italy and has written numerous articles for Australian and international ceramics journals on ceramic art practice, education and glaze technology.
Jane Burns passed away on 17 April 2024 at the age of 90 years.
Jane Burns was the founding Director and long-time CEO of the Crafts Council of Australia, as well as a founding member of the Arts Law Centre, National Association of the Visual Arts and numerous other organisations.
In 1988, Janes was awarded an Order of Australia medal for services to the crafts and, in 1992, the Australia Council’s Visual Arts/Crafts Board Emeritus Medal.
‘’Jane was definitely a craft legend/treasure, having led Craft Australia for decades with exhibitions, events, visitors, and the magazine. Her passion and knowledge of the sector were exceptional…, and she was so engaged in what was happening in the industry. She will be missed’’ – Liz Williamson, President of World Crafts Council Australia.
“Jane was a passionate advocate for Australian craft and its place in the world. She led Craft Australia with a unique combination of vivacity and wisdom. Her life will continue to inspire us all.” – Dr Kevin Murray, vice president of World Crafts Council International.
The Australian Design Centre acknowledges “Jane’s extensive contribution to Australian contemporary studio craft, a tireless dedication spanning over four decades.”
You are welcome to join us for a conversation about how craft is presented in the media, the state of writing about craft and in particular the scene in her hometown of Mittagong, the location of Sturt Gallery and Studios.
The Craft Cooee is Tuesday 26 March at 5pm (AEDT). Register on Zoom here.
Previous winners of WCC Award of Excellence from South Pacific
The Biennial Awards of Excellence for Craft are very well known in our neighbouring regions – less well known in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
If you specialise in making production line ware that is of high quality, and unique to your country or region, please consider entering.
Past winners can brand their work as a Winner of the World Crafts Council Award of Excellence and the governing body is constantly looking for opportunities to market and present winners’ works. Winning entries will find a place in the Kokand Museum for craft in Uzbekistan.
Entries are due 10 April 2024.
You can find the form for applications for the Award of Excellence here.
Sandra Black accepting her award at the Ceramic Arts Association of WA Christmas party, November 2023Mary Dhapalany receiving her Craft Masters Award
World Crafts Council Australia is very proud to share news of the practitioners from the South Pacific who have been officially honoured with the title of Craft Masters of the Asia Pacific Region.
In November 2023, a jury meeting was held in Dongyang, China. Over four days, regional nominations from Central Asia, South Pacific, South Asia, West Asia, South East Asia and East Asia were reviewed and discussed by an 11-person jury representing all these regions. The jury process enabled jurors to see and glimpse the complexity, skill and traditions that underpin craft practices across the Asia Pacific.
The World Crafts Council Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR) concluded the 4th Asia Pacific Region Craft Master Program, hosted in the vibrant city of Dongyang, China. The event, organised by the Municipal People’s Government of Dongyang City and the China Arts and Crafts Association, witnessed the gathering of craft enthusiasts, experts, and artists from around the world. The Asia Pacific Region Craft Master Program, initially launched in 2008 for China only, has expanded its coverage to the entire region, honouring craftsmen with over 30 years of professional practice for their outstanding contributions to the development of crafts. The final jury meeting, held from November 5 to 7, reviewed 66 pre-selected entries from six sub-regions of the Asia-Pacific region.
An international jury, consisting of 11 members, evaluated each application based on five endorsement criteria: extraordinary contribution to field, sustainable practice, international recognition, continuous learning, and international collaboration.
The jury was very interested in the aspects of intangible cultural heritage and passing on knowledge that otherwise might be lost through your art practice.
The South Pacific winners were:
South Pacific Greg Daly (Australia – Ceramics) Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello (Australia – Glass) Kaetaeta Watson & Louisa Humphry (New Zealand / Kiribati – Fiber Crafts) Kirstie Rea (Australia – Glass) Liz Williamson (Australia – Weaving) Marian Hosking (Australia – SilverSmithing) Mary Dhapalany (Australia – Fiber Crafts) Prue Venables (Australia – Ceramics) Sandra Black (Australia – Ceramics)
