Mark Vaarwerk
Australia Council for the Arts Residency
2007
Mark Vaarwerk is a Sydney-based jewellery designer and maker known for transforming ‘throwaway’ plastics into beautiful contemporary pieces. His practice began with spinning plastic shopping bags into string for necklaces using an adapted hand-spindle technique, before moving to incorporate bottles, which were fused around silver to make rings and bracelets. Now Mark largely works with expanded polystyrene, radically transforming these waste plastics into intriguing shapes and forms to be worn on the body.
Recent exhibitions include: Unexpected Pleasures: The Art and Design of Contemporary Jewellery, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and Design Museum, London (2012); SOS (supercyle our souls), Ventura Lambrate, Milan (2012); Ontketend (Jewellery Unleashed!), Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem (MMKA), the Netherlands (2011); and unnatural acts, Velvet da Vinci Gallery, San Francisco (2011).
Australia Council for the Arts
Since 1992, the Australia Council for the Arts has partnered with Acme to provide London work/live residency opportunities for Australian visual artists. These residencies are located at Acme's Fire Station in Poplar, E14. Application and selection is undertaken directly by the Australia Council for the Arts.
For more information visit australiacouncil.gov.au
