THINGS presents new ceramic works from artist Elspeth Rowell, challenging the confines of Western classification systems through an installation of objects that defy taxonomical boundaries.
The concept for this project emerged from my interest in the human act of collection, questioning why, how and what we choose to collect as a way of examining the relationship between people and the physical world. Drawing on the historical concept of the Cabinet of Curiosities, a pre‑museum model that assembled objects across natural, scientific, and artistic domains. THINGS explores the way acquisition, collection and possession uphold colonial narratives that have traditionally governed object classification and exhibition. I seek to understand how objects can embody and reveal histories of entanglement within physical space, and how the act of collecting itself might be reimagined as a creative and philosophical practice of material thinking. Exhibiting hybridised ceramic objects (intentionally recognisable yet uncategorisable) within the likeness of a museum or specimen hall, is a tangible way for me to challenge these ideas of categorisation while showcasing alternative ways of seeing and meaning-making.
Based in Naarm, Elspeth Rowell is a contemporary ceramic artist whose work explores material culture through sculptural assemblages, investigating the different structures that shape systems of knowledge, categorisation and collecting practices. Her work draws inspiration from 16th century Cabinets of Curiosity, Natural History museums of the 18th century and contemporary archival institutions, challenging the confines of western classification systems. Rowell has exhibited her work in her solo show Secure Escape at Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Canberra, as well as a number of group shows across Naarm. In 2024, Rowell received the Australian Ceramics Association award for academic excellence.