A transportable garden in a gallery? Wearable flowers that never wilt or wither? Vicki Mason’s brooches and rings explode with colour and detailed, intricate forms.
New Zealand born and trained, Mason’s passion for native botany is a driving force in her work. She crafts a wonderland of invented flora, with colour and texture meticulously conjured in metal, plastic, PVC, nylons and fake suedes.
Since childhood, sewing and wearing jewellery have been passions for Vicki. More recently she expanded on these loves by adding plastic, PVC and nylons to bring a wider range of texture and dimension to her pieces.
Through her interpretations of native flora, Mason reflects on personal stories of identity and belonging, as well as referring to cities and countries she has visited or calls home.
Based in Melbourne, Mason has undertaken artist residencies in England and been involved in national and international touring exhibitions, both as artist and curator, with each geographical experience influencing her work.
This current body of work is an exciting development for Mason, as she pushes the boundaries of a synthetic, portable, personal garden, blossoming with delicate forms, intricate detail and bursts of glorious colour which transform Gallery 2 into a kind of botanic observatory.
The Vicki Mason exhibition is to run from 9 June – 22 July at Jam Factory Contemporary Craft & Design.
