Western Australian Sculptor Scholarship recipients announced

Posted: March 5, 2022 / News

Stephanie De Biasi and Carolina Arsenii at the Media Launch, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2022. Photo Louise Coghill

Western Australian-born artists Stephanie De Biasi and Carolina Arsenii were awarded the prestigious $15,000 Western Australian Sculptor Scholarship for ‘Fossil’, a woven, pod-like structure made from recycled cat food cans that highlight the immense waste produced from everyday packaging.  It is the first time they have exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe.

Presented by the Hon Roger Cook MLA, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, and kindly donated by Ian Hicks AO and Susie Grant, the WA Sculptor Scholarship is this year increased to $15,000 from the previous $10,000 awarded from 2013-2021. The scholarship provides invaluable support for the advancement of the artist’s career, including the opportunity to travel and study their craft.

Ian Hicks AO and Susie Grant said, “Congratulations to Stephanie and Carolina for receiving the $15,000 WA Sculptor Scholarship. This award is designed to assist leading WA emerging to mid-career artists to reach the next stage of their career. It’s a hard road building a career as an artist. We hope the pair really benefits from this scholarship and that we might see them exhibiting on Cottesloe beach again in the coming years.”

Arsenii has exhibited widely in both Western Australia and Victoria, including Emergency Responses at RMIT First Site Gallery, Melbourne in 2019 and Lost and Found at City Arts Space, Perth, 2017. She received grants from the City of Melbourne in 2020 and 2021, and a design commission from Perth Airport in 2018.

De Biasi has exhibited sculptural works widely throughout Western Australia. In 2018, she graduated with a Bachelor of Contemporary Art at Edith Cowan University where she selected for the 2018 Sculpture by the Sea Artist Mentorship. She was one of three WA artists selected to exhibit in the 2019 National Graduate show, HATCHED, at Perth Institute of Contemporary Art.

Carolina Arsenii and Stephanie De Biasi said, “We are honoured to receive this award, who would have thought our decision to use recycled cat food cans could lead to such a significant project. Thanks to Sculpture by the Sea for making this exhibition possible, to Ian Hicks and Susie Grant for their generous sponsorship of this award, and to our technician. We are excited about how the award can support our practices and already have many ideas for future works. We are thrilled to continue our collaborative relationship and to continuing to use recycled materials in the future.”

We love the picture of this creative pair each holding one of our coveted wave design trophies, which have been provided by Dinosaurs Designs since 2005.

 


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