Helen PhiliPP

 Artist Statement

‘Stitch by stitch, circle by circle, weaving is like the creation of life, all things are connected”. Auntie Ellen Trevorrow, 2003

Although predominantly using Ngarrindjeri weaving style taught to her by Elder and mentor Ellen Trevorrow, Helen’s work has departed from the use of native grasses in favor of dyed Madagascan raffia and paper twine. The focus of Helen’s baskets and sculptural work is color, as it complements and enhances form.

 Her recent series of weavings draw inspiration from the vibrant colors and circular forms of ocean creatures, using enlarged photographs of plankton as a reference for creating sculptural forms.

 She has recently begun to incorporate plastics collected from the St Kilda foreshore into her woven forms in an attempt to raise awareness of both the amount of plastic refuse which is throw away and ends up in the ocean and also the destructiveness of human plastic waste which is being ingested by sea creatures and birds. She is also weaving copper wire.

Exhibitions and Commissions

 March 2018

Commissioned to make a title poster for a photographic exhibition at Camp Coorong, SA called the ‘The nation is the people and the people are the nation’. The exhibition, curated by historian Karen Hughes, gathered and displayed photographs of Ngarrindjeri people from early contact down to present day. It was part of an initiative to reunite and reconnect Ngarrindjeri people, many of whom had suffered separation and loss of contact as a result of the stolen generation.

 September 2018 ongoing- A range of baskets exhibited and sold at Storehouse,

a gallery in Koonwarra and St Kilda, showcasing work of local artists and designers. (storehousekoonwarra.com)

 May 3-19 2019   Solo show - ‘Beneath The Surface’.Yarra Sculpture Gallery

Woven sculptural forms based on Plankton made from dyed Madagascan raffia and paper twine.

Oct 24 -Nov 17 2019

November 2019 ongoing Artist in Residence ay Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda.

Upcoming show- August 2020 Carlisle St Art Space