Inspiration for visitors

The Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery threw a sophisticated soiree to open its first two exhibitions of the year, Worn Land — Four Contemporary Jewellers in the Pilbara; and Obscura — Karijini Through an Abstract Lens.

WA Nationals Leader Brendon Grylls and Town of Port Hedland Mayor Camilo Blanco attended to open the two exhibitions officially.

Mr Blanco said each of the exhibitions offered new ways of seeing, experiencing and thinking about the Pilbara.

“These shows not only demonstrate the inexhaustible inspiration one can draw from our natural landscape, they stand as a testament (to) a creative, engaged and energetic community alive and well in Port Hedland,” he said.

“These exhibitions truly prove the importance of a regional gallery’s role in the development and support of local participating artists and demonstrates FORM’s commitment to fostering creativity in Port Hedland.”

Mr Grylls congratulated all the artists involved in the exhibitions and thanked FORM and the Courthouse Gallery for their contribution to Port Hedland’s culture. “We’re known as being a mining town, we’re doing so much to be known for more than that and the Courthouse Gallery, every time you come here, shows us that that’s exactly the case,” he said.

“Art and creativity right across the length and breadth of the Pilbara is in a resurgence and FORM has a lot to do with that. To the FORM team, thank you so much for what you do to inspire our artists.”

Images displayed in Obscura were taken by professional, emerging and beginner photographers in Karijini National Park.

Photographers were encouraged to see the land and take images from an abstract perspective.

Worn Land features jewellery inspired by the Pilbara landscape.

They were made by four contemporary jewellers who created them using materials found in the area including rocks, litter, thongs and plants.

The two exhibitions will run display at the Courthouse Gallery until May.

For more information, head to form.net.au.

See more photos of the opening in this week’s North West Telegraph.