AS far as debut solo exhibitions go, Gorgia Sealey is knocking it out of the park.<\/p>\n
Her collection of works is currently on show at the Naracoorte Regional Gallery until February 22 and the reception for her first foray into the public sphere has been amazing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am especially blown away to have sold 11 of my 15 pieces already, given it is my first collection,\u201d Gorgia said.<\/p>\n
The emerging young artist can\u2019t pinpoint a moment in time when she realised her passion for art \u2013 she has just always felt drawn to the creative.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always loved dabbling in creative things and have been particularly drawn to anything unique and thought provoking, right from a young age,\u201d Gorgia said. \u201cMy number one personality test value is ironically ‘an appreciation of excellence and beauty’. Growing up and going through school, art was one of my favourite subjects for as long as I can remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
While art has always played a role in Gorgia\u2019s life, it has been more recently that she has prioritised developing her art practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is easy to get busy throughout study and starting your career as well as keeping up with sports and your social life so I would say I am still developing my craft and experimenting with subjects and materials,\u201d she said. \u201cA large part of my development has just been prioritising time to sit down and actually make it happen. A lot of people comment that they are not creative, however I think everyone can be in some way, it is just finding the time which is the tricky part.\u201d<\/p>\n
Art, has, in time, not just been a hobby but infiltrated Gorgia\u2019s career and while it took some time, the two have now officially merged.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing through school I always wanted to incorporate creativity into my career one way or another and I loved the idea of studying Art Therapy, however couldn’t straight out of school due the limited courses offered and the courses being postgraduate courses,\u201d she said. \u201cThis detour led me towards Education, specifically Disability and Developmental Education. I just found the arts are such a good outlet and often a sensory experience for children and people with disabilities, it is really a match made in heaven and I found myself incorporating it naturally into my career, particularly when I was studying and working as a support worker.<\/p>\n
Eventually Gorgia did complete that Diploma in Art Therapy and while she is currently working in the education sector, art therapy will also be on her radar should the right opportunity present itself.<\/p>\n
Right now, though, when she is not working on her own collections, she is inspiring creativity in her students.<\/p>\n
\u201cI find the younger the child, the more confidence they have to give it a go and make it their own,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is a great feeling seeing a child excited to try something new, asking for help and feeling worried but then taking off and finishing a piece or feeling proud about something they have created completely by themself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether the work turns out the way you plan it or not, at the end of the day, you have still learnt something. That is why I love Art Therapy in particular, it places emphasis on the process and removes pressure from the outcome, making it suitable for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gorgia\u2019s current exhibition did not start out as a series of works she wanted to share with anyone but through the power of social media, reactions to her work encouraged her that perhaps what she was creating should be shared.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no intention of exhibiting or selling any works as they were not pieces that were considered in my head as mainstream or aesthetic house art which people would be interested in,\u201d she said. \u201cThe themes and messaging behind the collection really started to consume my brain space and one thing turned into another and eventually across the two years I had an entire collection forming and one day it occurred to me that maybe I could try to present it in an exhibition.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was when she dipped her toe in the water by starting an Instagram page – sele__art \u2013 and that feedback combined with Naracoorte Regional Gallery\u2019s call out to artists saw her reach out and investigate having her own exhibition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just bit the bullet and reached out,\u201d Gorgia said. \u201cI told myself, \u2018what would the women from my collection do?\u2019 They certainly would not have let someone else’s opinion stop them from trying.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Gorgia, this exhibition is about storytelling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have designed this exhibition as a bit of a story and would love for people to read the statements to provoke discussions with those around them,\u201d she said. \u201cEven though some of the themes and messages are deeper and come from heavier tales, I have designed the collection with a bit of fun, satire and tongue in cheek references to hopefully empower women.<\/p>\n
\u201cIdeally, I would love for groups of women from all ages to look through it with each other and walk away with a spring in their step feeling a little reminder of their strength and what they are made of.\u201d<\/p>\n
She created in acrylics for this exhibition but has started dabbling in oil based products and intends to develop those skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love their buttery feel and ability to blend them together,\u201d Gorgia said. \u201cI have also been dabbling with lino cuts and printing and would love to spend some more time working on more intricate layers in prints.\u201d<\/p>\n
Upcoming maternity leave will also provide the opportunity for more experimentation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AS far as debut solo exhibitions go, Gorgia Sealey is knocking it out of the park. Her collection of works is currently on show at the Naracoorte Regional Gallery until February 22 and the reception for her first foray into the public sphere has been amazing. \u201cI am especially blown away to have sold 11 […]<\/p>\n