Amanda Shelsher - Artist Profile August 2001

Amanda Shelsher (born 1971, Fremantle) works as a full time sculptural ceramic artist. She was introduced to clay at the age of 10 as her mother began her own career as a full time potter. Amanda began exhibiting at age 18 and went on to complete a B.A in Visual Arts-Ceramics at WA's Curtin University of Technology. She then completed her Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) the following year in 1992. After teaching in Perth, the United Kingdom and France she travelled extensively for three years and then decided to embark on her career as a full time artist.

Her new sculptural works in clay explore the human condition. Her expressive figures and her surreal bird forms combine with her towering cities to create strong narrative works that are explorations of her own personal experiences, childhood memories and an irrepressible desire for freedom. Some of the works are assemblages and this strong interactive play between the pieces, Amanda sees them as her own larger than life set of toys - drawing upon strong childhood connections. All of Amanda's works are hand built using her own blend of clays and then intricately hand modelled, a process she loves due to its intimate and personal nature.

In 1997 Amanda held her first solo exhibition at PICA and held another later in 1999 at the Moores Building in Fremantle.

Amanda has participated in various group exhibitions including Gift at Craftwest Gallery and two feature shows in 2000 and 2001 in Melbourne at the Garry McEwan Gallery. She was chosen in 2000 as one of ten artists to exhibit in the Potters' Society bi annual exhibition at Manly Art Gallery and Museum in NSW. This piece was acquired by the Gallery and is now part of their extensive ceramic collection.

This year she designed an exclusive range of ceramic jewellery for young successful Sydney designer Anthony Kendal - Thys Collective for parade at Mercedes Fashion Week where the show received much international recognition.

Amanda was also selected for exhibition in the Gold Coast's International Ceramic Award in Queensland in 2000 and selected again for this years award. In 2001 she received the Clayworks Australia award at the Townsville Ceramic Award at the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery and awarded the open sculpture prize at the 40th Port Hacking Potters Group Awards at Hazelhurst Art Centre in Gymea, Sydney.

Her works are represented in Galleries throughout WA @ CRAFTWEST Centre of Contemporary Craft at the Elemental Shop, Fremantle Arts Centre, Margaret River Art Galleries, Gunyulgup Gallery. In Sydney at Object Store in the Rocks and Mura Clay Gallery. In Melbourne, St Kilda at Garry McEwan Gallery and Framed Gallery in Darwin. Her works have been bought by collectors from around the globe - famous collectors have included Billy Conolly.

Amanda Shelsher : 169 Crawford Rd, Inglewood WA 6052. PH : 08 9272 6777

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