WATSON Arts Centre is among the many arts organisations swinging back into gear this week, with two new exhibitions running at the Aspinall Street Gallery.

“Temple of Fashion ” is a body of work created by Lennox Head ceramic artist and sculptor Amanda Bromfield while she was artist-in-residence at Canberra Potters in late 2016—and it has a distinctly Canberran flavour.

The eight week residency enabled Bromfield to locate and research the creations of Canberra fashion designer Maggie Shepherd, eventually creating work about women and women’s issues.

The dress and art history are consistent motifs that appear in Bromfield’s and serendipitously,  Maggie Shepherd’s Head Office and retail outlet in Canberra, known as  the “Temple of Fashion”, as its front entrance still sports Classical Greek columns, so the artist has blended the dress and classical motifs in the works on display.

In the second exhibition, ceramicist Paul Dumetz exhibits new forms and surfaces that reflect a mentorship with local ceramic artist Maryke Henderson and a joint exhibition with Henderson at Belconnen Arts Centre in 2015.

Now Dumetz, who is already well known for his sculptural ceramic work that includes dogs, cats, dragons and frogs, has now produced a body of domestic ware with “luscious surfaces” – wheel-thrown teapots, cups and bowls.

Ceramic works by Bromfield and Dumetz, at  Watson Arts Centre, Aspinall Street, Watson, 10am–4pm, Thursday to Sunday, until February 5.

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