Graham Hay
Born in New Zealand, Graham Hay is an international artist based in Western Australia.
His art practice is informed by over two decades of critical ethnography research, focussing on collective and individual artistic expression. Ethnography began as a static, statistical study of culture. It was an anthropology, then sociologically based field of research. Critical ethnography is more contemplative, acknowledging its participatory and subjectivity bias. Hay's critical ethnography approach is both political and pedagogical.
He has participated in over 160 exhibitions in a dozen countries, with his artwork in textbooks and public collections in many of these countries. Hay has participated in ceramic, paper and art biennales in Australia, Holland, Argentina, Romania and Italy(3). In 2017 he presented a 500 kg vessel based sculpture and performance in Personal Structures - no borders, a Venice Biennale Parallel Event.
While Hay works across different mediums, he is an internationally recognised as a pioneer in the paper clay sculpture movement. Having given over 330 lectures, workshops and demonstrations in a dozen countries, he was invited to co-lead the first international paperclay symposia in Hungary, the US and Norway. Paper clay is now a third of all clay used in studios and classrooms in Western Australia.
He has also pioneered a new, dry process for creating up to 4 tonne compressed paper, a type of artificial wood, which he exhibits both inside and permanently outside in the weather.
His art practice is informed by over two decades of critical ethnography research, focussing on collective and individual artistic expression. Ethnography began as a static, statistical study of culture. It was an anthropology, then sociologically based field of research. Critical ethnography is more contemplative, acknowledging its participatory and subjectivity bias. Hay's critical ethnography approach is both political and pedagogical.
He has participated in over 160 exhibitions in a dozen countries, with his artwork in textbooks and public collections in many of these countries. Hay has participated in ceramic, paper and art biennales in Australia, Holland, Argentina, Romania and Italy(3). In 2017 he presented a 500 kg vessel based sculpture and performance in Personal Structures - no borders, a Venice Biennale Parallel Event.
While Hay works across different mediums, he is an internationally recognised as a pioneer in the paper clay sculpture movement. Having given over 330 lectures, workshops and demonstrations in a dozen countries, he was invited to co-lead the first international paperclay symposia in Hungary, the US and Norway. Paper clay is now a third of all clay used in studios and classrooms in Western Australia.
He has also pioneered a new, dry process for creating up to 4 tonne compressed paper, a type of artificial wood, which he exhibits both inside and permanently outside in the weather.
" have been a 'clay-holic' since childhood, transferring my enthusiasm to the new material paper clay in 1992. This was after being introduced to it as a way to make tiles that don't warp, by Ceramic Chemist Mike Kusnik. |
Generous by nature, he has written over 20 journal articles on paper clay, paper and art, and provides a huge, information packed website www.grahamhay.com.au on art and techniques, while running small studio-based classes from Robertson Park Artists Studio in Perth, Western Australia.
