New Exuberance
Contemporary Australian Textile Design
JamFactory Touring Exhibition
Curated by Meryl Ryan
2 March – 12 May 2024
Bringing contemporary art, design and fashion together, New Exuberance celebrates creative collaboration, sustainability and the versatility of textile craft. Incorporating graphic, furniture and product design, fashion and the visual arts, the works play with surface patterning, material experimentation, storytelling and conceptual ideas.
Australian textile-based practices are flourishing, with makers finding renewed confidence in community-driven products and collaborations. The notable visibility of First Nations’ practices is partly due to the passionate vision of new enterprises like First Nations Fashion + Design, reinforced by meaningful and covetable textile designs produced by artists across the ‘Top End’, in remote art centres and in urban collectives across the country.
The exhibition showcases the work of more than 30 textile creatives and includes 10 commissioned furniture pieces produced by designers associated with JamFactory.
Featuring Bábbarra Women’s Centre x Daniel Emma, Frida Las Vegas, Grace Lillian Lee, Hannah Gartside, Ikuntji Artists, Iordanes Spyridon Gogos, Jemima Wyman, Kate Just, Lisa Waup x Verner, Nina Walton, Nixi Killick, Paul McCann, Romance Was Born, The Social Studio x Among Atem x Romance Was Born, Tiwi Design, Vita Cochran, Wah-Wah Australia with Kaylene Whiskey, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran and Reg Mombasa.
New Exuberance is a JamFactory touring exhibition. JamFactory is supported by the South Australian Government through the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. JamFactory is assisted by the Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments. JamFactory is also assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
Image: WAH-WAH x Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, 2022 (detail), Australian merino wool as modelled by Ramesh, Kirthana Selvaraj, Remy Faint, Julie Faint. Stylist Kirsty Barros. Photo Lexi Laphor. Courtesy of WAH-WAH Australia.