2024 The shape of success
This year marks a significant milestone for the Helpmann Academy
Yes Man
Installation view of Wilson Jedd Adams, Yes Man, 2019. Collection of the University of South Australia. Photograph by Sam Roberts.
Wilson exhibited in the 2019 Graduate Exhibition.
To kick start the celebrations, a curated selection of artworks from artists that have been part of past Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibitions were presented on opening night. Included in the satellite exhibition were works by Wilson Jedd Adams, Alice Blanch, Tom Borgas, Teresa Busuttil, Dr Thomas Folber, Joseph Häxan, Kate Little, Chris Siu and Emmaline Zanelli. Together these works were sourced from the University of South Australia’s art collection, the private collection of Helpmann Academy CEO Jane MacFarlane, and a couple of pieces from my own collection.
In bringing together these works, the exhibition revealed stories of the enduring impact of Helpmann Academy, and showed how success in the arts can take many forms. Having emerged from university by exhibiting in the Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition, each artist has gone on to walk their own journey to ‘success’.
Teresa Busuttil, nixtieq li kont hawn (wish you were here), 2022.
Teresa exhibited in the 2023 Graduate Exhibition.
One of the more recent artists to have exhibited in the 2023 graduate exhibition, Teresa Busuttil (University of South Australia) has in an incredibly short time, gone from strength to strength. Last year, Teresa’s experience as the recipient of the 2023 Helpmann Academy ACE Studio Residency was profiled in ‘How to ACE a studio residency’. After a successful pitch to exhibit at Firstdraft in Sydney, and a strong presentation of works at the ACE Studios: 2023 exhibition, Teresa has now gone on to be selected as an artist for the inaugural Malta Biennale.
“Being awarded The Helpmann Academy ACE Studio Residency in 2023 was a catalyst for the work I am currently making in Malta.” shares Teresa.
“Taking part in the inaugural Malta Biennale is incredibly exciting -I’m facing new and unique challenges as I live and work in Malta to create new work titled, Frejgatina for Can You Sea?: The Mediterranean as a political body.”
One of the joys in curating works for exhibition, is the opportunity to tease out relationships between artworks – but also the artists behind them. Accompanying Teresa’s work nixtieq li kont hawn (wish you were here), was an image from the series Semaphore by well-loved South Australian photographer, Emmaline Zanelli. Longstanding friends Teresa and Emmaline have supported one another’s careers for many years, a relationship that is testament to the power of community in supporting artists to prosper.
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