Thistle Chair Past Event

Anni Hagberg (b.1995) is a Australian-born Finnish visual artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. Hagberg has a particular interest in investigating unpredictable process-driven material encounters through sculpture and installation, primarily working with non-traditional mediums within ceramic and craft processes. Hagberg has exhibited her work since 2018 including exhibitions at Neon Parc, CAVES and Craft Victoria.

Originally from Albury, regional New South Wales, Michael Gittings (b.1989) grew up hunting and fishing with his father, navigating the natural environment at a slow and considered pace. Here, Gittings developed an enduring interest in aspects of nature that might otherwise have passed him by, such as how bark falls from trees through the seasons and how leaves and flowers shrivel, changing in colour and shape as they return to the earth. Directly inspired by his environment and working intuitively with his materials (primarily metal), Gittings has been creating sculptural works that sit at the intersections of art and design since 2016. In addition to having exhibited nationally, Gittings has had works acquired and commissioned by major institutions including the National Gallery of Victoria.