For over a quarter of a century, Diane and Dan Mossenson, together with their family, have been presenting innovative, cutting edge exhibitions of work sourced from Australia’s emerging and established artists in their galleries in Perth and Melbourne, through artfairs, touring and offsite exhibitions.

HWD which opens at Mossenson Galleries in Subiaco on 25th September is no exception. Presented in celebration of the milestone achieved by the Gallery, will be sculptural pieces sourced from some of Australia’s well known and emerging sculptors, working across a number of mediums, including Brian Robinson, Peter Zappa, Matthew Clarke and Rhonda Sharpe.

Brian Robinson is of the Maluyligal and Wuthathi tribal groups of the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula and a descendant of the Dayak people of Malaysia. Born on Waiben (Thursday Island) and now Cairns-based, Robinson is known for his printmaking, sculpture and public art in which he uses a variety of techniques to produce bold, innovative and distinctive works that read as episodes in an intriguing narrative, revealing the strong tradition of storytelling within his community.

Like the tidal currents that course through the Straits, a myriad of cultural influences run through Robinson’s ancestry and own lived experience. His family are fisher folk whose Roman Catholic faith exists in synergy with traditional spirituality. His images are often strange and seemingly incongruous concoctions yet there are many recurring motifs and characters that appear – co-opted into the spirit realm of the islander imagination.
 His work has featured in many exhibitions nationally and internationally, including Berlin, Noumea, USA, The Netherlands, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and his work is held in major collections including National Gallery of Australia; the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art; Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia; the Australian National Maritime Museum; and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, Virginia, USA.

Peter Zappa has been working as a professional sculptor since 2006 when he completed a degree in Fine arts at Curtain University at the age of 48 as a mature aged student. Peter commenced an Honours program in sculpture in 2007 but left academia to pursue his passion as a practicing artist, preferring the creative atmosphere of his workshop in preference to an institution.

Perhaps it was the 25 years working with his hands as a plumber that drew Peter towards sculpture or maybe it started as a boy watching, entranced as his father, Guglielmo magically worked metal with a hammer, fire and anvil in the back garage on the rare occasions when his chisels needed re-sharpening.
Zappa's Ned Kelly series of sculptures evoke images of the gang riding to their ill fated meeting at Glenrowan, rifles on their shoulders, ready to face their inevitable destiny. Peter’s fascination with sculptural motion is also evidenced in his Calderesque hanging  mobiles and sculptural forms.

Matthew Clarke, a young energetic artist from Warnambool Victoria states that he is an artist who paints, draws and makes sculptures. He was introduced to making sculptures by his friend Glenn Morgan in 2017.  His sculptures start with drawings on the wood that is cut out or paper that turns into the stencil to make the shapes for the figures. In 2018 Mattew was a finalist for the Alice Prize with his sculpture of a wallaby. He has been selected as a prize winning artist for the 2017 Melbourne Trams contest. In 2018 Matthew has been selected as the poster artist for the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

 Multiple awarding winning artist Rhonda Sharpe was born and grew up in Alice Springs  and currently lives at Larapinta. Sewing makes her feel happy and proud. Inspired by her lived experiences the beautiful soft sculptures created from wool, cotton, and intricately stitched, tell stories of the past, present and relay aspirations for the future.

  Presented in celebration of the milestone achieved by the Gallery, will be sculptural pieces sourced from some of Australia’s well known and emerging sculptors, working across a number of mediums, including Brian Robinson, Peter Zappa, Matthew Clarke and Rhonda Sharpe.