Upcoming exhibition: Savanhdary Vongpoothorn: Aflame

Published on 08 September 2023

Campbelltown Arts Centre is proud to present “Savanhdary Vongpoothorn: Aflame”, an exhibition of new works created by Vongpoothorn from 26 August to 15 October.

Savanhdary Vongpoothorn is an artist who has strong ties to South West Sydney, previously studying art at Western Sydney University and living in the Wedderburn Artist community during her formative years.

Her new body of work takes inspiration from the Ādittapariyāya Sutta (Pali, “Fire Sermon Discourse”) in Theravada Buddhism – a discourse from the Pali Canon popularly known as the Fire Sermon or Fire Sutra.

The Fire Sutra is a repeated theme in Vongpoothorn’s work, as seen in her previous work with Campbelltown City Council in 2022 on a commissioned public artwork called “Spinning the Fire Sutra I” on ANZAC Lane in Campelltown’s CBD. The motif of the Fire Sutra draws from her family’s experience of the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 and current environmental disasters.

Her practices feature strong Lao cultural references interwoven with Australian and other cultural influences that stem from her experiences of growing up amongst Lao cultural, familial and religious worlds, both in Laos and Australia.  

“Savanhdary Vongpoothorn: Aflame” will include a major new kinetic installation, new works on canvas, photogravure etchings and a space dedicated to activities for children.  

This project has been assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council of the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. This project has also been supported by ArtsACT.

Details at https://c-a-c.com.au/savanhdary-vongpoothorn-aflame/