Happy Birthday: Sculpting Stories with Fania

Building on her exhibition Happy Birthday on show at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery (NRCG), Argentinian multi-disciplinary artist Fania (Estefania Minniti) leads a creative exploration of birthdays and other celebrations as cultural rituals. Usually framed as joyful events, such days can also contain other more complicated emotions. Nostalgia, expectation, comparison, gratitude, loneliness, reflection; these days can be moments to look backwards and forwards at the same time.

Commencing with a tour of her exhibition, Fania will invite participants to reflect on the role significant dates and celebrations play in their own lives. Following a brief creative writing and reflection exercise, participants will use simple clay hand-building techniques to transform their memories, emotions, and desires for the future into small ceramic sculptural pieces – simple objects, talismans, abstract symbols, animals or entirely imagined forms and objects.

No previous experience with clay is required to attend this workshop. All materials and a bisque firing of works produced are included.