Esme Timbery

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Esme Timbery (born 14 February 1931 and also known by her married name, Russell)[1] is an Australian Bidjigal shellworker. Timbery's shellwork has contemporary elements, blended with the traditional medium. She has work in the collections of several art museums throughout Australia.

Biography[]

Timbery was born in 1931 in Port Kembla and is of Bidjigal Aboriginal heritage.[2] Timbery began to create shellwork at a young age.[3] She comes from a long line of shellworkers, including her great-grandmother, Emma Timbery.[4] Timbery and her sister, Rose, began to sell their shellwork in the 1940s.[4]

Timbery currently works in La Perouse.[5] ABC produced a documentary about her in 2007, titled She Sells Sea Shells.[3]

Work[]

Timbery's work was exhibited at the 1988 opening of the Powerhouse Museum.[3] In 1997, her work was exhibited at the Manly Regional Museum and Gallery in the show, "Djalarinji - Something that Belongs to Us."[3] Her work was included in the 2004 show, "Terra Alterisu: Land of Another" held at the College of Fine Arts in Paddington.[5] She also exhibited in the 2008 Campbelltown Arts Centre show "Ngadhu Ngulili, Ngeaninyagu - A Personal History of Aboriginal Art in the Premier State."[6][7] For the Message Sticks Festival in 2001, Timbery was asked to create shellworked versions of the Sydney Opera House.[3] The Opera House pieces reflect a more contemporary use of shellworking.[6] In 2005, she earned the NSW Indigenous Art Prize for her work.[3] She also decorated shoes for the design label, Romance Was Born for their Spring/Summer 2009/2010 collection.[8]

Timbery's piece, Shellworked Slippers (2008) is made up of 200 scuffs embellished with shellwork.[3] The piece is also a memorial to the Stolen Generations.[3] The piece was exhibited at the Sydney Biennale and is in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.[2] Shellworked Slippers also represents the strength of Aboriginal women.[9] Three of her shellworked Sydney Harbour Bridges are part of the collection of the National Museum of Australia.[10] Timbery also has art at the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.[11]

Honours[]

A building at the University of New South Wales has been named in honour of Timbery, the Creative Practice Lab (ETCPL).[12] The building is decorated with a mural titled In her hands and it is the first building at the University named after an Aboriginal woman.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ "Timbery, Esme (1931-)". Trove. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Esme Timbery". Biennale of Sydney. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Kembrey, Melanie (16 January 2018). "The shell seeker: Esme Timbery's journey from Paddy's Markets to the Biennale". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  4. ^ a b Jones, Jonathan (2014). "Esme Timbery :: The Collection". Art Gallery NSW. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Esme Timbery: Shellwork". Australian Design Centre. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Esme Timbery". Working Model of the World. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  7. ^ MCA Collection. MCA Store. 2012. p. 124. ISBN 9781921034541.
  8. ^ "Platform shoes decorated by Esme Timbery for Romance Was Born". Museum of Applied Arts & Science. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Esme Timbery: 21st Biennale of Sydney". MCA Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Shellwork Sydney Harbour Bridge". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Esme Timbery and Marilyn Russell". Kaldor Public Art Projects. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Famed artist's colourful legacy comes to life on campus". UNSW Newsroom. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.

External links[]

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