Mother Island Artists In Conversation

Hear from Mother Island artists Susan Flavell, Louise Monte and Olga Cironis in a panel discussion with exhibition curator Paola Anselmi.

Mother Island brings together three distinct artistic practices which share a deep engagement with storytelling through material. Across sculpture, installation and textile works, the artists examine the bonds that connect us to people, places and histories, while reflecting on the ways culture, memory and care are passed between generations. The exhibition proposes the idea of the “mother island” as a site of origin, belonging and protection, but also a space from which we must sometimes depart in order to define our own identities.

Susan Flavell employs magical thinking as a political strategy against climate apocalypse. Her art practice reveals notions of the fantastic, the monstrous and the mythical, applying a range of material strategies to create compelling sculptural forms.

Louise Monte works with found objects, exploring the intersection of memory, time and human fragility. Shop receipt books from her family’s business are a recurring element used in her work to examine personal and collective histories. Her practice is shaped by durational themes and an interest in activating audience participation.

Olga Cironis creates work which contains layers of research, collected stories, muted voices and cultural heritage. Her work is psychologically loaded with meaning, provoking and seducing the viewer, navigating them through history and inviting them to question our social and environmental connections.

Paola Anselmi is a curator and arts writer who manages public and private art collection development and public art projects. Paola regularly contributes to Australian arts publications on Western Australian contemporary art practice and has published several exhibition catalogue essays.

VISITING LWAG

Mother Island runs until 5 December 2026, Tuesday – Saturday, 11am-4pm. Entry is always free.

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We acknowledge we are situated on Noongar land. We pay our respects to the traditional owners of the lands on which we live and work across Western Australia and Australia.

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View all related events to the exhibitions at uwa.edu.au/lwag/Events

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Image credit: Susan Flavell, Louise Monte and Olga Cironis