Amanda Shelsher

Amanda Shelsher (born 1971,Western Australia) works as a full time sculptural ceramic artist from her home in, in Perth Western Australia. She grew up surrounded by bush in the small suburb of Gooseberry Hill and was introduced to clay at the age of 10 when her mother began her own career as a professional potter. Surrounded by both an artistic mother and father, Amanda was drawn into the world of ceramics and was firing and glazing works from this early age. Amanda began exhibiting at age 18 and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts - Ceramics at Western Australia’s Curtin University of Technology. She then completed her Graduate Diploma of Education (Art - Secondary) the following year in 1992.

After teaching in Perth, the United Kingdom and France, Amanda travelled extensively for three years. This proved a catalyst for her to begin her journey as a full time artist in 1998. Since then she has exhibited extensively and provided work to leading galleries throughout Australia, including FORM Contemporary Craft and Design Perth, Aspects of Kings Park, Raglan Gallery Sydney, Beaver Galleries Canberra, Skepsi Gallery Melbourne and Margaret River Art Galleries.

Post-travel, Amanda’s work focused on themes of travel and a desire for flight. However, this changed significantly after the arrival of her and her husband David’s two children. The artist is now drawn to different themes particularly her perceptions of the miracle of life, domesticity and growth. Amanda’s themes may now focus on domesticity, yet her works still travel the globe.

In 2007 she was flown to Los Angeles for a group exhibition of Perth's established and emerging talent presented at the Scion Gallery, Culver City. Her work was exhibited at SOFA - International Exposition of Sculpture Objects and Functional Art, in Chicago in 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004, represented by Raglan Gallery. She also exhibited at the prestigious art fair Collect at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 2006.
In 2006 Amanda attended Art Taipei with Raglan Gallery where 90 exhibitors from 16 countries came together to exhibit the best in contemporary arts. Her works were also selected for the Fubon Art Foundations’ 18th Feast of the Mind - Buffet of Art annual exhibition, and she was chosen as one of four international artists, alongside another renowned Australian sculptor, Patricia Piccinini.

Most of Amanda’s work is created at night when she is able to find time for herself. During this period she can settle down, consolidate her thoughts and enjoy the process of making. Amanda’s workspace is a small worktable in the lounge of her family home- she is constantly surrounded by her family. Juggling the two roles of mother and artist is not easy but Amanda thrives on working for competitions or her latest exhibition or international show.

She was selected in 2007 for the 30th Alice Craft Acquisition in the Northern Territory. Her work has been selected for numerous award exhibitions including Perth’s 2006 Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe, the 2002 Sidney Myer Fund International Ceramics Award, the 2005, 2003, 2001 and 2000 Gold Coast International Ceramic Award in Queensland, and Ceramics: The Australian and New Zealand Context at the Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery in 2003. In 2006 she was awarded the Sculpture Prize in the City of Wanneroo Art Awards.

Prestigious acquisitions include the National Gallery of Australia - Canberra, Australia, National Australia Bank Melbourne, Australia.Gold Coast City Art Gallery - Queensland, Australia. La Trobe University Art Collection in Melbourne, the City of Wanneroo Art Collection and City of Perth Art Council Collection, both in Western Australia, and the Manly Art Gallery and Museum in Sydney, Australia.
AMANDA SHELSHER
Born: Western Australia 1971
www.amandashelsher.com

EDUCATION

1992: Graduate Diploma of Education (Visual Arts).Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia.
1989-91: Bachelor of Arts - Visual Arts. Ceramics. Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia.


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2011 Artist presentation and demonstration Kingsway Christian College,Darch.
2011 Artist presentation and demonstration Sacred Heart College, Sorrento.
2011 Artist presentation and demonstration-Lake Joondalup Baptist College Joondalup. Western Australia
2011 Artist presentation. Hale School, Wembley Downs, Western Australia
2011 Artist presentation, All Saints College, Bull Creek, Western Australia
2010 Artist presentation. Australian National University, Ceramic Students.Ceramics Department,Canberra.Australia
2009 Artist Presentation. Stretch Festival. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Art Gallery, Mandurah, Western Australia.
2009 Workshop and Artist Presentation. Penrhos College. Perth , Western Australia.
2008 Panel member.“State of the West .Ceramic survey”. Central TAFE Perth, Australia.
2008 Presenter & Artist talk “State of the West” Ceramic survey” Central TAFE Perth,Australia.
2007 Scion Installation L . A Space. Installed “Australian Characters” group exhibition. Los Angeles, U .S.A.
2007 Artist Presentation: “Garden of Curiosities” FORM. Perth, Western Australia.
2006 Gallery Assistant. Art Taipei. Hua Shan Culture Park. Taipei. Taiwan. Installed works for Fubon Banking corporation and gallery assistant for Raglan Gallery.
2002 Australia - Korea Foundation 10th Festival - Showcased works in Seoul, Korea represented by CRAFTWEST, Perth, Western Australia.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS / FEATURED ARTIST

2011 Inked - Gallery East. North Fremantle Western Australia
2010 Earthly Perspectives. Solo exhibition.Beaver Galleries. Canberra, Australia.
2009 Wild Surburbia. Solo exhibition.Greenhill Galleries Adelaide. Adelaide, South Australia
2009 Bloom. L K Galleries, Subiaco, Western Australia.
2009 Stretch Festival. Solo exhibition. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre . Western Australia.
2007 Garden of Curiosities.. Solo exhibition. FORM.Contemporary Craft and Design, Perth. Western Australia
2007 SOFA Chicago,Navy Pier. Represented by Raglan Gallery, Manly, Sydney, Australia. USA
2006 SOFA Chicago, Navy Pier Represented by Raglan Gallery, Manly, Sydney, Australia. USA
2006 Fubon Art Foundation.Taipei.“18th Feast of the Mind. Buffet of Art”. Taiwan.
2006 Collect V & A Museum, London. Represented by Raglan Gallery, Manly, Australia. England.
2005 SOFA Chicago,Navy Pier. Represented by Raglan Gallery, Manly, Sydney, Australia. USA
2004 Precious. Solo exhibition. Beaver Galleries. Canberra, Australia.
2004 SOFA Chicago ,Navy Pier. Represented by Raglan Gallery, Manly, Sydney, Australia. USA
2002 Australia - Korea Foundation 10th Festival. Represented by Craftwest. Seoul, Korea
1999 Earthbound. Solo exhibition. The Moores Building, Fremantle, Western Australia.
1997 3 Kombies, 24 Countries and1 Lion. Solo exhibition. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth,Western Australia.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND AWARD EXHIBITIONS
2012 Stations of the Cross,Wesley Uniting Church, Perth City.
2012 30 x 30 Margaret River Galleries, Margaret River, Western Australia
2011 Save Art - UWA Members Club Nedlands Western Australia
2011 30x30 by 30 Gallery East, North Fremantle, Western Australia.
2011 INKED ! Gallery East, North Fremantle, Western Australia
2010 Ergon Energy CQ Ceramic art award. Rockhampton Art Gallery Queensland
2010 Down memory lane. Framed The Darwin Gallery, Darwin, Northern Territory
2010 Femme Folk and Fables. Linton and Kay Contemporary, Subiaco, Western Australia.
2010 Stanthorpe Art Award Finalist. Stanthorpe Regional Gallery, Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia.
2010 Perth College 25th Annual exhibition, Perth College, Perth, Western Australia.
2009 Summer Exhibition. Wagner Art Gallery. Paddington, New South Wales, Australia.
2009 Mazenod College Art Exhibition . Feature Artist. Lesmurdie. Western Australia.
2009/ 2010 Hale Art Exhibition. Wembly Downs. Western Australia.
2009 Music Box Project. Curator Chrissie Parrot.Holmes A Court Gallery. Perth, Western Australia.
2009 Prometheus Visual Arts Award Finalist– Merrimac, Queensland, Australia.
2008 State of the West. Ceramic Survey. TAFE Gallery, Perth Central TAFE Perth, Western Australia.
2008 Mino International Ceramic Award, (First round judging) Japan.
2008 Perth College 23rd Annual exhibition, Perth College, Perth, Western Australia.
2008 Minnawara Art Award, City of Armadale, Western Australia.
2007 Australian Characters. Scion Installation Space.Curator Stormie Mills. Los Angeles, U.S.A.
2007 Hellfire Gallery. Group exhibition, Esperance, Western Australia.
2007 & 2002 Alice Craft Acquisition, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.
2006 Ananya Fine Arts, “Conversations in Clay”, Hong Kong.
2006 Sculpture by the Sea. Cottesloe, Western Australia.
2005,2003,2001,2000.Gold Coast International Ceramic Award. Gold Coast City Art Gallery. Australia.
2005 Statements in Sculpture. Skepsi Gallery. Carlton, Victoria . Australia.
2003 Remembering: Women Working for Women. Moores Building, Fremantle. Western Australia
2003 Ceramics: The Australian and New Zealand Context .Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, Australia
2003 From the Fringe to the Centre. La Trobe University Art Collection. Mildura Arts Centre, Victoria, Australia.
2002 Off The Wall and Grounded. La Trobe University Art Museum, Glenn College, Victoria,Australia.
2002 Sidney Myer Fund. International Ceramics Award. Shepparton Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia.
2001 Storey's. Gallows Gallery. Mosman Park, Western Australia.
2000 Cerebration. Manly Art Gallery and Museum. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

AWARDS / GRANTS

2009 Department of Culture and the Arts. Arts flight grant to Adelaide
2006 City of Wanneroo Art Award. Sculpture Prize, Perth, Western Australia.
2005 Gold Coast International Ceramic Award – Acquisition for Gold Coast City Art Gallery
2004 ArtsWA. Artflight grant, Canberra, Australia.
2001 Port Hacking Potters Group 40th Award, Sydney, Australia.
2001 Townsville Ceramic Competition, Queensland, Australia.
2000 ArtsWA. Artflight grant, Sydney, Australia
2000 Town of Vincent - Art Award Ceramic Commendation, Western Australia
1999 Town of Vincent - Art Award, Western Australia
1998 Victoria Park Sculpture Award, Western Australia
1998 and 1997 Jah Roc Sculpture Prize York Art Awards, Western Australia

COLLECTIONS
2011 Penrhos College, Como, Western Australia
2010 Rockhampton Art Gallery, Queensland. Australia.
2010 St John of God Hospital Art Collection. Murdoch, Western Australia.
2010 Perth College Art Collection, Perth, Western Australia
2007 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
2005 Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Queensland, Australia
2005 National Australia Bank, Melbourne, Australia
2004 City Of Wanneroo Art Collection, Perth, Australia
2002 La Trobe University Art Collection, Melbourne, Australia
2000 Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Sydney, Australia
2000 City of Perth , Art Council Collection. Perth, Australia
2000 Healthway, West Australian Health Promotion Foundation, Perth, Australia
2000 Perth College Art Collection, Perth, Western Australia
Private collections in Australia, Europe, U.K, U.S.A and Middle East. Collectors include Billy Connolly.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
2011 The West Australia.Tattoo art more than skin deep, Lyn DiCiero. January 12 th 2011
2010 Canberra Times. Benign and quirky works. August 25.Kerry Anne Cousins.
2009 The Advertiser. “Arts encore” pg 8. Oct. 15th . Exhibit presents artist work immersion in her work.By Tim Lloyd.
2009 The West Australian- Today Arts.”Sculptor eyes child’s eye view”. Pg 12 April 3rd .By Ara Jansen.
2009 & 2007 Art seen in WA. Review of ‘Bloom’ and ‘Garden of Curiosities’ by Judith McGrath. www.artseeninwa.com/shelsher.html
2009 The Journal of Australian Ceramics Issue 48#1 pg 48 -51.
by Rachel Schulze: ‘Primordial Yearnings’.
2008 Ceramic Art and Perception. No 71.Pg 25 -28 by Judith McGrath.
“Amanda Shelsher’s Friendly Forms”.
2007 SOFA Catalogue.Chicago USA.International Exposition of Sculpture Objects and Functional art.
2007 Ceramic Review Magazine . U. K. Issue Sept / Oct 227. Review gallery, page 20.
2007 The West Australian Visual Arts “Shining Sprit of Collaboration”.review by R. Spencer. June 23rd.
2007 Art seen in WA Review “Garden of Curiosities” by Judith McGrath July. www.artseeninwa.com/shelsher.html
2007 Homes and Living Year Book pg 68 “Fine Figure”.
2007 Arts Hub Australia - Proust Pin- Up June 26th www.artshub.com.au/au/news.
2006 The Journal of Australian Ceramics.'Home is where the heart is’.By A.Shelsher Vol 45#3. pp22-23
2006 Art Taipei. Exhibition Catalogue 2006. pp 124 – 125.
2006 “Oh my Deer 18th Feast of the mind Buffet of Art” Taipei Catalogue.Pg 11-12. FUBON Arts Foundation.
2006 Sculpture by the Sea. Exhibition catalogue, Western Australia.
2006 Craft Arts International. Issue 66, pg 113. 24th Gold Coast International Ceramics Award.
2005 Craft Arts International magazine. Issue 64.SOFA Chicago 2004 Exposition p87.Kevin Wallace
2004 Canberra Times. “Capturing the Untouched.” August 21st Panorama Arts. By Sonia Barron.
2004 SOFA Catalogue –Chicago. pg 238
2004 The Journal of Australian Ceramics..Vol 43 # 3.“Precious” Sue Buckle. Feature article pgs 6- 9.
2003 Ceramics Art And Perception: Vol 52 pg 55:“Ceramics in the Australian & New Zealand Context”.By R.Reason.
2002 Craft Arts International magazine. Issue 55. pg 54-57. Article by Fleur Downs.
2002 Ceramics Art And Perception: issue 48. pg 63: Gold Coast Ceramics Award. By Rosemary Macfarlane.

http://www.amandashelsher.com