Call & Response "Conversations"

„Conversations” project was created to nurish local artistic community, connect artist, bust the creativity and pay respect and celebrate the place, its histotory, culture and nature.

FORWARD
from the exhibition catalogue by Kamila Waleszkiewicz

It brough together local artis from different cultural bacgrounds and divers range of art practices. 

In many of our conversations during the course of this project, we talked about our personal cultural heritage, the place we live, our community, our experiences, our desires and more. It became clear that from the perspective of our personal cultural heritage, we each came to Perth from different corners of the world, bringing with us our own wealth of customs and traditions. Moreover, we came to this place at this point in time (2023-2024) from different stages of life, bringing with us unique family narratives and life experiences. Carrying on our shoulders many responsibilities, stresses, health problems, but also joy and happiness. We have come together here at the Inglewood Arts Hub to create and celebrate the rich history, culture and natural beauty of our neighborhood. Together we support the creation of a vibrant culture within these walls. 

Thanks to the cooperation and friendly relations that have blossomed between us, we have created a unique community linking artists from different fields, such as painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, and textile art. We leant from each others, we inspired each others, we challenged each others. 

In the inaugural edition of our project, we embarked on a reflective journey, interpreting the evolution of Inglewood over time. We delved into its history, juxtaposing it with the present, and we showed our respect of this place. In the second edition of our project, we have turned our focus toward capturing portraits of our local community, nature, architecture and the atmosphere of the suborbian life.

The Conversations exhibition serves as a reflection of our heritage, experiences, individual aspirations, and our collective communal needs. As we create, work and live on the land with reverence for the cultural legacy of its First Nations People, as well as for its natural splendour we created artworks reflecting on our personal views of our life here. This exhibition stands as a tribute to the unique cultural mosaic we’ve woven by infusing our homeland with the essence of our cultural heritage, familial values, friendships and artistic talents. 

A poem crafted from the feedback I received from artists involved in the project:

"Mindful conversations in collaboration"

Stuck in a rut

Down in the dump of isolation

Not able

Trying

Trying to make art

They call

A tapestry of like-minded people

It challenges me to think

New route of creative thinking - where does it take me?

Focus

The deadline is coming

Reinvigorated in response, engaged

I share my passion

New ideas in creative space

Foster synergy

The frisson of expose

The warming neighbourhood

I overcome the greatest fear

I step outside my comfort zone

I step outside my isolation

Let’s go

Let’s go into exploration

The Call & Response Project Conversations is more than an art initiative; it is a platform for collaborative artistic exploration and the development of meaningful interpersonal relationships. As part of the project, there are also interviews with artists, conducted by the project leader Kamila Waleszkiewicz, providing insights into their creative process, influences, and reflections on the project.

Interviews:

Graham Hay: Graham Hay's way to artistic freedom
Sue Hibbert: Believe in yourself and trust. It’s okay not to know what you’re doing
Jillian Ciemitis: Being inclusive of people finds its way into all I do
Graham Hay reflections on the collaboration: Pause and reflect. Graham Hay on creative collaborations