A cross –cultural collaborative exhibition
Aziza Zafari
On 5th of July 2012, at 6 PM, avisual arts exhibition was started under the name “Concrete Me” by two emerging artists ElyasAlavi& Andre Lawrence at Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre Galleryin Adelaide, Australia.
The exhibition started with a finger food and the audience, represented by many different countries and cultures. They had a tour of the exhibition for 45 minutes and they appreciated the hard work of the two young artists.
There are 3 collaborative works by the names and 3 works by each artist including 10 paintings of ElyasAlavi which must done by Acrylic & Oil colour on canvas.
At 7 PM Miss Cheri Donaldson, the history and theory lecturer of University of South Australia was invited to talk and officially open the exhibition. She started with the purpose and meaning of the title “Concrete Me” as the Concrete is a substance which is been used as a thin and a medium in the exhibition because of the symbolic properties of straight permanent and stability, which reasonably shows the strong relation with the artists background and culture.
She then read a short biography of the artists. “Elyas was born in Daikundi province, Afghanistan, and was exiled to Iran as a child, following the intensification of war in his homeland. Elyas migrated to Australia in late 2007 as a refugee at risk. He graduated from Bachelor of Visual Arts (specialised in painting in 2011) and currently studying Honours degree at the University of South Australia.He is also a well known poet and his two books has been published under the names “I’m a day dreamer wolf” and “Some Wounds”.”
Miss Donaldson then introduced Andrew Lawrence who was born the Northern Territory and went to France as a child. He backed to Australia at age 20 graduated from the South Australian School of Arts with a bachelor of Visual Arts. He is currently completing his Honours degree in Sculpture and installation.
As it mentioned at the catalogue of the exhibition, Concrete Me is about two separate artists, but equally it represents the coming together of their art and their cultural experiences. This exhibition is open till 27 of July 2012.