What the Eye Doesn't See, 2023

Porcelain, stoneware/earthenware blend, Japanese paper, Dutch gold leaf, on table with chair.

Dimensions variable.

Chrissie McCormick is an emerging artist living and working on Wurundjeri land, Melbourne. Chrissie migrated to Australia in 1977 and her art reflects her upbringing in working class Liverpool. It engages with themes of nostalgia, social history and social justice.

This work, What the Eye Doesn’t See, represents the perfect-imperfect world we live in. It speaks to the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which embraces transience and imperfection. This is evident in the repair of broken ceramic pieces using gold dusted lacquer (the practice of kintsugi) which honours the break and makes the repair obvious. As with objects, fractures can inform the narrative of relationships; when a relationship ends, instead of acknowledging the breakdown, it is often hidden and seen through the lens of shame.

Using ceramics as a vehicle, Chrissie has created an artwork based on nostalgia.

What does this artwork say to you?

You are invited to turn over the pieces and see what is revealed on the underside of each piece.  What does it say to you now?

Thank you to Ms Jo Crawford.