In a dazzling celebration of Australian art and fashion, the Warrnambool Art Gallery is currently hosting the world premiere of LISA GORMAN + MIRKA MORA: To breathe with the rhythm of the heart.
The exhibition, on display until March 17, is a vibrant collaboration between Warrnambool-born designer and visual artist Lisa Gorman and iconic Australian painter Mirka Mora, curated by Warrnambool Art Gallery Director Aaron Bradbrook.
Returning to her hometown for this groundbreaking event, Lisa Gorman (known to many for her vibrant and collaborative designs for one of Australia’s most recognisable fashion labels Gorman which she founded in 1999 and remained as creative director before departing the business in 2021) expresses her excitement: “I hadn’t ever imagined that I would have ended up showing my personal work in Warrnambool Art Gallery. It’s quite exciting for the Gorman family.”
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A celebration of Victorian art and design, the idea for the contemporary design exhibition was sparked by Bradbrook, who recognised the unique connection between Lisa and Mirka Mora, two pioneering and ground-breaking artists whose practices traverse generations and art forms. Lisa shares, “It’s really nice for me to be showing alongside Mirka Mora; it’s an incredible privilege. She’s one of the artists who I adore most, and having worked with her and known her personally, it’s a really special moment in my own career.”
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LISA GORMAN + MIRKA MORA features select garments from their iconic 2016 and 2018 collaborations, together with Mirka’s rarely exhibited tapestries and neon ink works from the 1980s, renowned hypofictional doll-like creatures and beloved soft sculptures, works on paper and never-before-seen paintings directly from the Estate of Mirka Mora.
For this exclusive exhibition, Lisa also draws from her love of colour and experience with textiles, specifically the process of weaving to create a series of exquisite and illuminating large-scale acrylic sculptures, immersing visitors in a neon colour bomb of bouncing light and playful shapes.
Delving into her artistic journey, Lisa shares, “The opportunity to show in a public space brings out a whole lot of new ideas about the work. And for me that was scale; having an opportunity to show in a space that you could stand back from the work. And this particular work does rely on it,” Lisa explains.
Using translucent acrylic sheets, Lisa explores the elements of warp and weft and textile design.
“This work explores that junction between the warp and the weft threads and the colour that’s created. When you weave the threads, it all depends on which threads are on the top and which are on the bottom, the way that the yarn is twisted and where the light hits the yarn. This is an exploration of that, but rather than using textile and using thread and yarn, I’ve used translucent acrylic sheets,” she explains.
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Lisa’s exploration of translucent acrylic sheets is a departure from her previous works. “It’s almost like you’ve got a magnifying glass and you’re looking really closely at that junction between the warp and the weft thread. And that moment is really out of the hands of the creator and somewhat left to the threads themselves as to what they do when they cross over,” she explains, highlighting the captivating play of colour and translucency.
French-born Australian artist Mirka Mora (1928-2018) was a beloved inspiration in the Australian art and culinary scene after arriving in the country in 1951. In 2016, Mirka alongside Lisa Gorman launched their collaboration for the Gorman label, adorning fashion and art lovers with Mirka’s extraordinary artwork and Lisa’s deeply creative style and fashion form.
The collaboration left a lasting impact on Lisa’s creative spirit. She describes Mirka as a “free spirit” whose exploration of various mediums deeply inspired her curiosity. “I’ve always been interested in different mediums. I think that that’s why ultimately I have collaborated with so many different artists, designers, and makers over the last few decades. I often felt like fashion for me was a curation of different collaborations really and I think that my need and desire to work with different materials was what caused that,” Lisa reflects, emphasising her fascination with different materials and mediums.
As the exhibition promises a diverse journey through Mirka’s and Lisa’s works, Lisa hopes visitors take away a sense of evolution. “Art and design can present itself in many different forms. You don’t necessarily need to work in one medium or even two throughout your career,” she encourages, inviting others to explore the boundless possibilities of artistic expression.
“In the way I was inspired by Mirka, and her breadth of work and breadth of materials, hopefully, this exhibition will inspire others too.”
In the spirit of the exhibition’s title, “To breathe with the rhythm of the heart,” Lisa Gorman’s neon wonders and Mirka Mora’s timeless creations converge in a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the vibrant heartbeat of Australian art.
LISA GORMAN + MIRKA MORA is on at the Warrnambool Art Gallery until March 17, 2024. Find out more here.
