Ernabella Artists at JamFactory

Four artists from Ernabella Arts, located in the remote North of South Australia, are currently involved in a residency program at JamFactory Ceramics Studio. Renita Stanley, Carlene Thompson, Tjimpuna Williams and Inawinytji Stanley are producing gorgeous decorative works that are destined for Fisher Jeffries Gallery here in Adelaide plus JamFactory Morphett Street store and include hand painted cups and larger forms. The cups were made by JamFactory Associate Hilary Jones and the larger forms by Silvia Stansfield, alongside some pieces made by the ladies themselves. The work has certainly caught the attention of many of us here, and it will no doubt be a popular item when released for sale.

Ernabella Arts Inc, Australia’s oldest indigenous art centre, was founded in 1948 and incorporated in 1974.  JamFactory has a long history of collaboration with the Ceramics Program at this important Arts Centre and this connection was again supported through a visit to Ernabella by Prue Venables in June of this year. This visit was funded by the Darling Foundation and Jam Factory.

On discovering that a group of artists were to be in Adelaide twice over a one month period for other exhibitions, Prue suggested that rather than travel twice, they stay on for a one month residency in the Ceramics Studio at JamFactory.

We now have the good fortune to see an exciting daily process where plain ceramic mugs are being transformed into wonderful, individual works of art that tell the cultural stories of these people.

Ernabella artists work can be found in all major Australian state and national collections and is exhibited around the world. These women already have considerable reputations for their painting on canvas and it is exciting to see the translation of the work onto ceramics. We all feel very lucky to experience this opportunity.

So, do look out for these wonderful works in the JamFactory shop in the next month or so.