The beauty of the Western District landscape is a fundamental inspiration of artist Nicola Cerini’s work.
Cerini, a feature artist in COPACC’s textile art exhibition CrossXpollinatioN, grew up at Tower Hill west of Warrnambool and attributes her rural upbringing as a major creative influence.
The exhibition will feature Cerini’s Analog to Digital, which brings together her screen printing roots as well as digitally-printed panels specially created for CrossXpollinatioN.
Cerini will also lead a bag making workshop and give an artist talk on Sunday 14 July.
Cerini uses a variety of techniques including hand-cut paper stencils to develop ideas for more complex digital images inspired by the district’s geographical landmarks, animals and flora where she has spent most of her life.
Cerini’s artistic career spans more than 25 years and her work is featured in the National Gallery of Victoria and the Museum Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
As one Melbourne’s better known innovators of textile design, her eponymous handbags took Victoria’s alternative fashion scene by storm in the noughties.
COPACC Manager Tamzin McLennan said the Colac Otway community would have an opportunity to make their own handbag on Sunday 14 July using Cerini’s gorgeous signature fabrics.
The handbag making workshop costs $30 and starts at 10am. Cerini will also give an artist talk at 3pm the same day.
“For those of you who have always wanted a Nicola Cerini bag, this is your opportunity.
“Nicola will lead people through the process of creating a simple but beautiful cloth tote to take home, in the fabrics that have made her and her bags famous.
“Or people can hear Nicola talk about her creative inspirations and the methods she has used to create Analog to Digital, a collection of screen and digitally printed fabrics created especially for our exhibition,” Ms McLennan said.
