about — cathy franzi

Artist residencies form an important part of her creative process, allowing her the opportunity to spend time immersed in the flora and environment of a location. The outcome of residencies at Bundanon Trust, Vancouver Arts Centre, Albany and Fremantle Arts Centre were significant bodies of work for exhibition.

“I research an environment and its flora primarily through fieldwork, supported by data and archival searches and my engagement with botanical research centres such as the Australian National Herbarium and the National Seed Bank. Early botanical collections and drawings stimulate and expand my own understanding and approaches to representational mark making. The resulting field, archival and studio research form the basis for a new body of ceramic work for exhibition.”

“The subject of my work stems from doing what I love, that is to be in nature, and plants are my particular fascination. With this attention comes a recognition of environments under threat and species in rapid decline. My work aims to reflect the textural and formal qualities of plants and refer to the connections between them, ecosystems they inhabit and attributed cultural values.”

Dr Cathy Franzi is an award-winning visual artist interested in expressing scientific and environmental knowledge through the representation of Australian flora on ceramic form. In 2010 she completed a Master of Visual Arts in Ceramics at the School of Art + Design at the Australian National University, Canberra. In 2015 she was awarded a Doctorate in Visual Arts (Ceramics) for her research topic, ‘An Australian botanical narrative: a practice-led enquiry into the representation of Australian flora on the ceramic vessel as an expression of environmental culture.’

Her interdisciplinary approach is informed by a first degree in Science and has led to numerous science-art projects including the prestigious ANU Vice-Chancellor’s Artist Visiting Fellows residency with the ANU Research School of Biology and the ‘Art of Threatened Species’ funded by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

Franzi has held sixteen solo and participated in more than thirty group exhibitions and is represented by Sabbia Gallery in Sydney and Beaver Galleries in Canberra. Her work is held in public collections including Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, Parliament House Art Collection, Manly Museum & Art Gallery, Canberra Museum & Gallery and Shepparton Art Museum. Franzi has received numerous awards, most recently Highly Commended in the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize 2020 and People’s Choice Award in the 2020 Klytie Pate Ceramic Award.

She contributes to the field by teaching at tertiary and community level and is currently a lecturer at the Australian National University School of Art & Design.

I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the Australian land who were the first to study and value the indigenous flora and its environment.