Academic Event Report: Exploring the Visual Language of an Artist

Tasmanian Artist Neridah Stockley's Activity - Exploring the Visual Language of an Artist

During her residency in China, artist Neridah Stockley engaged in two main activities: Firstly, she gained a first-hand experience of the Chinese environment, observing everyday lifestyles that local people might take for granted, but which stood out from her different cultural background. Secondly, from an artistic perspective, she visited various museums, art galleries, folk districts, local art academies, and artist studios. Through these visits, she experienced and perceived differences from her own culture, gaining an understanding of traditional Chinese art forms and expressions, particularly ceramics and landscape painting. She also specifically visited a Chinese calligraphy exhibition, finding it highly rewarding.

In addition, CCATInc organized Neridah’s art exchange, specifically inviting her to deliver a lecture at the School of Art of Zhejiang Shuren University. This provided an opportunity for artistic interaction with local art students and fellow artists. Neridah toured the School of Art and was hosted at a dinner by the Secretary of the School of Art, Zheng Guiyu.

In her lecture, Neridah gave a brief self-introduction, covering her art career, early works, the connection between her work and art, and how she expands her vision and inspiration through various art residency programs. She discussed exploring creative techniques and the use of mediums in her art creation, as well as studying, exploring, and absorbing different cultures to transform them into her own creative works. Neridah discussed co-curating Artback NT’s Clay on Country Exhibition, a major survey exhibition from the Northern Territory currently touring Australia. Furthermore, she briefly introduced her current habitat, Tasmania, and the local museum of ancient and modern art, MONA. Following the academic lecture, art students posed insightful questions to the artist, receiving unanimous praise from the audience.

We are grateful for the invitation from the School of Art of Zhejiang Shuren University, which provided an opportunity for this successful art interaction between Chinese and Australian arts.

Special thanks to Ms. Zhang Yunling for providing simultaneous translation throughout the lecture. (Ms. Zhang Yunling holds a Master's degree from the University of Melbourne.)

Note: The following is the content outline for the lecture: 

1,INTRO

2,EDUCATION

3,WHAT I DO – BREADTH OF PRACTICE

4,EARLY WORK

5,CENTRAL AUSTRALIA 

6,TRAVEL AS AN ARTIST – PROFESSIONAL PATHWAY

RESIDENCY PROGRAMS

7,CERAMICS

8,CLAY ON COUNTRY TOURING EXHIBITION 

9,TASMANIA

10,MONA