South Australian artist Kasia Töns brings her solo exhibition, Panoply, to Ararat Gallery TAMA from Saturday 2nd March.
Kasia Töns is a textile artist working and living on Peramangk Country (Adelaide Hills). Hand embroidery and mask making are central to her practice, which sits at the intersection of art, fashion, and craft. Her process is slow and intuitive, colourful, and expressive.
Established in 1968, Ararat Gallery TAMA (Textile Art Museum Australia) holds a unique place amongst Australia’s public galleries, through its longstanding commitment to textile and fibre art. The gallery prides itself on being custodians of one of the most comprehensive collections of post-1970s textile art in Australia, and the gallery seeks to engage with artists working in the field of contemporary textile art, such as Kasia Töns.
Kasia’s solo exhibition, Panoply, is an exploration of how sculptural textiles can support mental well-being in emergency evacuation situations. Motivated by the uncertainty of life and a fascination for textiles and architecture, Töns presents three laboriously hand-stitched iterations of Panoply, which track the development of this project.
A video of the artist’s process and musings on the theme of ’making home’ accompanies the exhibition, and visitors will have the opportunity to add to a collaborative drawing wall, contributing their thoughts on what makes a place feel like home.
The official opening of Panoply by Kasia Töns will be held on Saturday 2nd March from 2-4pm. Entry is free, with bookings essential for catering purposes.
Kasia is also hosting a soft sculpture workshop at the Gallery on Sunday 3rd March.
Bookings for the official opening event and the workshop can be made via the Gallery website araratgallerytama.com.au or by calling 03 5355 0220.
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About the artist
Kasia Töns has exhibited nationally and internationally, and has participated in residencies in Australia, Iceland, the USA, Latvia, and the Slovak Republic. The Rothko Art Centre, Latvia holds two of her pieces as part of their permanent collection and her work was selected as a finalist for the 2021 Ramsay Art Award.
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Image caption: Kasia Töns in her studio with ‘Panoply’
© The artist. Photo: Sam Roberts.
