Biography
Nadia Mercuri was born in Melbourne in 1980. She has completed a Master of Fine Arts degree majoring in glass forming. Nadia is an active member of the Australian Glass Art arena. Her work speaks to aspects of contemporary popular culture and her response to it as a young participant in the Arts and broader community.
Artist Statement
My new work is informed by the nature of the Universe and the ways it is represented in Western popular culture and science. I utilize glass as this material lends itself to the visual representation of ideas inspired by space. The often mysterious and ambiguous properties of glass in describing light and its presence or absence is unique. Glass has its own inner-space; a substance in which interior and surface are simultaneously visible. A metaphor is drawn from the infinite cosmos made of huge and minute spaces, structures and experiences. These works are modules of possibilities. Incorporating themes found in science fiction I also discuss other questions posed by existence on this island earth with a degree of ambivalence and humour, alternately (or simultaneously) irony and sincerity, doubt and belief.
Curriculum Vitae
Academic History
Exhibitions
- Engtanglement, Manningham Gallery, Doncaster, VIC
Short listed for Tom Malone Prize 2008, Art Gallery of Western Australia, WA
MM08 The Monash Momentum Continues, Kirra Galleries, Federation Square, VIC
Some Like It Hot, Glass Plus Gallery, VIC
Toorak Village Festival of Sculpture, Toorak Village, VIC
Williamstown Festival Contemporary Art Prize, The Substation Arts Centre, Newport, VIC
- Short listed for Tom Malone Prize 2007, Art Gallery of Western Australia, WA
Generation M, the monash monentum, Kirra Galleries, Federation square, VIC
Light Matter, solo exhibition, Glass Plus Gallery, South Melbourne, VIC
- Starry Starry Night 2006 Silent Auction Donation, Alannah and Madeline Foundation, VIC
Work displayed at Qdos Arts, Lorne, VIC
Shhh! 2006, Craft Victoria Silent Fundraising Auction, Craft Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
Crystal Clear Gallery Eleven, Mentone Girls Grammar, VIC
Fire Australian Wildlife Galleries, Munro, VIC
Flair 2006 Ausglass members exhibition, Perth, WA
- Metaphysics Toyota Community Spirit Gallery, Port Melbourne, VIC
Journey through the Flame Kirra Galleries, Southgate, VIC
Popular Culture: Aspects of Cosmology Masters Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery, Monash University, VIC
25 Years Monash Glass Faculty Gallery, Monash University, VIC
Southern Lights Ausglass members exhibition, Adelaide, SA
- Side By Side II Beast Creations, Flinders, VIC
- Forte Monash University glass graduates exhibition, New Contemporaries, QVB, Sydney, NSW
Ausglass Student Exhibition, Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle, WA
- Tricycle Graduating Exhibition, Faculty of Art and Design, Monash University, VIC
- Special Combination Dish no.3, third year and Honours student exhibition, Faculty of Art and Design, Monash University, VIC
Darebin- La Trobe Acquisitive Art Prize Exhibition, Bundoora, VIC
Gallery Representation
Awards
- 2002, Kirra Galleries Award For Excellence in Glass
Publications and Media
- 2007, "Smile, and raise glass to a winning form"Tom Malone Prize review, The Australian, Tuesday 14th August 2007
- 2005, "Makers take rough with the smooth" 25 Years Monash Glass review, The Age, Monday 16th May 2005
- 2005, Retrospective exhibition: "25 Years Monash Glass", Stateline Victoria, ABC, Broadcast Friday 6th May 2005
- 2005, "Popular Culture: Aspects of Cosmology A studio based research into science fiction and the universe applied to glass art", Nadia Mercuri
Professional Experience
- 2002, Dante Marioni demonstration workshop, Jam Factory, Adelaide, SA
- 2005 - 2007, Glassblowing assistant, Gordon Studio Glassblowers, Red Hill, VIC
- 2003 - 2006, Glassblowing assistant, Crystal Stubbs, Melbourne, VIC
- 2006, Lino Tagliapietra demonstration workshop, Jam Factory, Adelaide, SA
- 2007, Teaching assistant, Short course in glass blowing and hot sculpting, Monash University, VIC
2008, Assistant lecturer, Glass Studio, Sculpture and Spatial Practice, Department of Fine Art, Faculty of art and Design, Monash University, VIC
Memberships
- 1999 - 2008, Financial member of Ausglass
- 2006 - 2008, Financial member of Craft Victoria
