Sally Blake
Mixed Media
Accredited Professional Member
Sally Blake is an Australian visual artist currently based in Brussels working across textiles, drawing and sculpture. Through her practice she visualises the complex patterning and connections between the human and natural worlds, particularly interested in cycles of death, renewal and regeneration and the points where transformations may take place. Her previous careers as a paediatric nurse and midwife deepened her understanding of birth and death cycles.
In Sally’s contemporary textiles, cyclic patterning and the interconnected whole are explored, as well as the consequences of their undoing.
Sally was awarded her PhD from ANU SOAD in 2015. She has held solo exhibitions throughout Australia and has participated in group shows both nationally and internationally and is represented in the collections of the Canberra Museum and Gallery, Australian National University, Australian National Botanical Gardens, the ACT Legislative Assembly, Tamworth Regional Art Gallery and many private collections worldwide.
"In my art practice I explore the potential space between humans and the natural world. I think and feel deeply about the disconnections in human understanding of the natural world which result in environmental crises. And in turn I contemplate the effect of the climate crisis upon humans, examining art’s purposeful role in bringing attention to, and examining significant environmental and social issues.
I have undertaken extensive research into eucalyptus dyes at the Australian National Botanical Gardens. An Australia Council grant allowed me to undertake the research and create the Eucalyptus Dye database which is freely available on my website. I use eucalyptus dyed threads to create stitched works on paper and twined baskets.
I began weaving wire sculptures after my mother died and I was gifted a small, skeletonised seedpod. It seemed to symbolise my loss - it was vulnerable and also resilient, gently holding its seed—the source of potential new life and inspiration. Through my wire sculptures I endeavour to capture this sense of fragility and strength. The baskets appear delicate, but the wire is strong enough to hold the structure."
Online Resources:
Website: www.sallyblake.com
Instagram: @sallyblakeartist