This festive season, we connect with those who share our passion for conscious living while celebrating the intersection of art and community.
We are delighted to introduce you to local Melbourne artists who share their approach to conscious living through the art of dressing, giving, creating and connecting.
Meet Katie Stackhouse, a versatile artist whose captivating works explore the intersection of time, human connection with nature, and living systems.
Using various mediums, from sculpture to sound, she creates immersive experiences that challenge our perceptions. Recent highlights include her solo exhibition 'Sound and Syncopation,' as well as a unique collaboration with composer Sunny Kim as part of NGV design week, and Stackhouses' participation in the Incinerator Art Award 2023.
Discover Katie's artwork here.
Katie Stackhouse, Song Vessel, 2021, Bronze, 300 x 133 x 120cm
Photograph: Emma Byrnes
Private commission, installed on-site, curated by Maudie Palmer AO
Performed by composer and vocalist Sunny Kim (Australian Art Orchestra), 2021
“Song Vessel is an elemental call for repair of place, land and the relations that persist and connect us. Through the synergy of video, sculpture, sound, and performance, the re-membered power of song is a clarion conduit for transformation: care for Country and for all beings.”
Watch video here
Password - stackhousestudio
Katie Stackhouse, Granite Painting #3, 2021 Acrylic paint, gouache, earth pigments, oil paint and oil stick on canvas 215 x 100cm
Boonwurrung Country.
Also, exhibited as a photographic print.
Katie Stackhouse Installation view – Group Exhibition ‘Square of Sunlight’ Curated by Helen Gory, 2021
Katie Stackhouse Granite Painting #1 - #5 2021 Acrylic paint, gouache, earth pigments, oil paint and oil stick on canvas 215 x 100cm
LEFT:
Katie Stackhouse, documentation of making of Granite Paintings, Toorernomairremener Country, Freycinet, lutruwita/ Tasmania, November 2022.
Photograph: Peter Stackhouse
RIGHT:
Installation, spatial hanging of granite paintings:
Katie Stackhouse Granite Painting #1, 2021 Acrylic paint, gouache, earth pigments, oil paint and oil stick on canvas 215 x 100cm
Katie Stackhouse, Granite Painting #2, 2021 Acrylic paint, gouache, earth pigments, oil paint and oil stick on canvas 215 x 100cm
Katie Stackhouse, Granite Painting #5, 2021 Acrylic paint, gouache, earth pigments, oil paint and oil stick on canvas 215 x 100cm
Katie Stackhouse, Untitled (detail) 2017, limestone, sodium hydrogen carbonate, wood, 135 x 32 25 cm
Katie Stackhouse Archipelago, 2018, Limestone and sodium hydrogen carbonate, 12 x 145 x 200 cm
Performance still image, 2018 Duration: 45 minutes
Photograph: Lucy Foster
Like any creative practice, it is an opportunity to acknowledge, pay respect to, and support the First Nations People of the land upon which the work is made. Some of Katie's favourite Indigenous-led projects and organisations are:
Children’s Ground: @childrensground https://childrensground.org.au/
Coranderrk https://www.coranderrk.com/
Yorenka Tasorenstsi Institute https://yorenkatasorentsi.org/
What does the Art of Dressing mean to you when it comes to the Festive Season?
I love to wear fabrics with exquisite textures that create interesting forms through movement. During the holidays I like to wear A-line skirts that I can dress up or down easily, by adding colour and my favourite jewellery.
What does Conscious Fashion mean to you?
Conscious fashion is a way of life, leading by example with ethical and quality standards in clothing. In my life, I choose clothing thoughtfully to minimise waste and ensure longevity. Op-shop finds with character hold a special place in my heart. When I part with a piece of clothing, I enjoy sharing it with friends, giving it a second life. I value quality, emphasising craftspersonship, sustainability, and a circular fashion economy.
With a Master of Contemporary Art from the Victorian College of the Arts, Stackhouse's work can be found in collections around the world. View her latest exhibition, SYMPHŌNÍA on her Instagram.