Marian Shapiro
BIO:
Originally trained in art and theatre in the UK, (Dartington College of Arts, New College of Speech and Drama, Middlesex University and Lancaster University) Marian has been a full-time working artist since 2003.
Shown and collected nationally and internationally, she has been commissioned by many private clients in Australia, the UK, USA and Canada and has public and commercial commissions in Sydney. She has been a finalist in many juried shows, both here and abroad, winning Best in Show at the most recent Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand’s (MAANZ) juried national exhibition. Her work has also been featured in numerous books and magazines and on television. In less unusual times she regularly teaches and speaks both in Australia and abroad and has also juried for mosaic shows and awards both here and in Canada. Until recently, she was the editor of the (MAANZ) quarterly e-magazine.
Marian is fascinated by the possibilities of working with both traditional and modern materials. She is intrigued by the creative tension of using ancient techniques and traditional materials to make original work that is relevant today.
PRESENTATION: ‘Point of Departure – the Exodus Series’
In 20 years of mosaic making, I have often worked in series. These have been sparked by a variety of impulses; visual fascination, curiosity, ecological concerns to name but a few. In the way of these things, some worked, some went nowhere. In 2019 I started my current set of works; Exodus which was inspired by the refugee crisis, something which resonates for me both politically and personally.
In this presentation, I trace the various inspirations for this series, both historical and visual, and take an in-depth look at some of the works, both completed and in progress.