Exhibitions
Exhibiting nationally and internationally, Mason utilises plants as symbols/motifs to tell stories about life in Australia today, while also seeking to build knowledge and awareness about the natural world in a technologically focused age.
Featured Exhibitions
The trees have names
This solo exhibition by Vicki Mason seeks to remind us of the interconnectedness of all things by looking more carefully at the trees that inhabit our urban streets, parks, gardens and open spaces. Raising awareness of and according value to the urban trees that frame our quotidian existence reminds us of the importance of the organic world.
The trees looked at in this body of work follow recent encounters with trees Mason had while undertaking a residency in Barcelona in 2015. The trees selected reflect not only the functional role of trees, but also their significant economic, environmental and cultural roles.
2017, Studio Ingot, Melbourne, Australia.
2018, San W Gallery, Shanghai, China
Bundanon
The exhibition Bundanon presented new works made as a result of a joint residency undertaken by Vicki Mason and Alice Whish in May 2018 at Bundanon in NSW.
Bundanon, once the property of artist Arthur Boyd (who donated it to the Australian people), is characterised by its rural setting on the Shoal haven river.
2020, Stanley Street Gallery
2019, Craft Victoria
Island Welcome
In December 2016 I met a young Iranian refugee woman through the Melbourne Artists for Asylum Seekers group. Detained on Christmas Island for two years in the Immigration Detention Centre there, this garland is a tribute to her. Presented are two pictorial elements drawn from a heartrending conversation we had about her experience of arriving in Australia.
The group exhibition Island Welcome is curated by Belinda Newick is currently touring Australia. http://islandwelcome.com.au/
DRY!
Living in a drought-prone country like Australia, Mason observes dried out lawns and sunburned plants with a keen awareness that we must think anew about how we view and use water for gardening.
Informed by her recent artist residency in Barcelona, Mason celebrates the adaptabilty, vibrancy and delight of drought-tolerant gardens. Bursts of spiky flowers sit alongside watery motifs rendered in silver, brass, linen, silk and cotton. Showy garlands of bottlebrush and splayed wattle flower brooches invite touch and play, highlighting the fascinating colours and textures of the tough beauties that inspired them.
At a time of reduced precipitation and climate change, Mason’s pieces invite us to think about how we can work in harmony with our environment, celebrating the preciousness of water and enjoying the unique gifts of the dry.
2016 Studio 20/17
2017 e.g.etal
Solo Exhibitions
2023, Canopy, Craft Victoria Vitrine Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
2017-2018, The trees have names, Studio Ingot, Melbourne, Australia and San W Gallery, Shanghai, China
2013, Vignettes from a suburban front garden, Craft, Melbourne, Australia (supported by the City of Melbourne). Link to catalogue essay.
2007, Offshoot, Jamfactory, Adelaide, Australia
2011, Botanical Fictions, e.g.etal, Melbourne, Australia. Link to catalogue essay.
2003, 2002, Pacific Specific, Object Galleries, Sydney, Australia
2000, Flora, Form, Christchurch, New Zealand
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023, Profuse, RED - Ignite the fire, Charon Kransen Arts, New York
2022, Pearly stamens, Remade/Reloved, Bridget Kennedy Projectspace, NSW
2022, Mobile together, Metro Tunnel Art, Melbourne
2021, Wattle it be, Victorian Craft Award, Melbourne
2021, The Perfect Brooch, Bilk, ACT
2021, Garland for a soul's journey, Radiant Pavilion, Melbourne
2021 - 2020, Make the World Again, Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne
2020 - 2023, Made/Worn, ADC, Sydney (Touring)
2020, Autumnal Colours, Jam Factory, Adelaide
2019, Trio, Bilk, Canberra
2018, Beyond the Seam, Contemporary Art Space Mandurah, WA
2017, Island Welcome, Radiant Pavilion Program, Melbourne (Touring 2017 - 2023)
2017, Voveo, City Library, Radiant Pavilion Program, Melbourne
2016, National Contemporary Jewellery Award, Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Griffith
2015, Fertile Ground, Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne
2015, En Singular, Barcelona, Spain
2014, Jewelry from Down Under, Taboo Studio, San Diego
2014, International Crafts Exhibition, World Crafts Council, Dongyang, China
2013, Melbourne NOW, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
2012, The Waterhouse Natural History Prize, South Australian Museum, Adelaide
2012, Once More with Love, Studio 20/17, Sydney (Touring)
2012, Mmmmmm, Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, Hong Kong
2011, VnX Filigree to Flora, Bilk, Queanbeyan
2011, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SAILOR… 100 Years, 100 Women, 100 Stories, 100 Brooches, Artisan, Brisbane
2010, Signs of Change, Form, Perth
2010, Transmutations: Material Reborn, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston
