Alison Murray is one of seven artists/artist groups nationally who were shortlisted for this year’s National Indigenous Ceramic Art Awards held annually in Shepparton every year.

Represented by the Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre Alison travelled to Shepparton last Saturday night with Art Centre Manager Dr Valerie Keenan for the awards ceremony.

Alison met with other artists who were included in the exhibition and attended a number of masterclasses and panel sessions during her visit.

“My visit to Shepparton was exciting,” Alison said.

“Before I went I was really looking forward to see how the bagu were being presented because we were using a different hanging system.

Once I saw them I thought they were very well displayed and fitted inw ell with the six other displays in the exhibition.”

The major prize was awarded to Shepparton based Gallery Kaiela artists Jack Anselmi and Cynthia Hardiw with a large floor installed ceramic, raku, porcelain and terracotta ‘Midden’.

This is not the first time Girringun artists have been represented in the art prize with a group of artists included in the 2011 exhibition which later toured to the Flinders University Gallery in Adelaide.  The artists at that event were Maureen Beeron, Sally Murray, Trish Beeron and Eileen Tep.

“Inclusion in an exhibition of this calibre clearly demonstrates the creativity and talents of all the artists who work at the Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre and particularly, in this case, of Alison Murray,” Girringun Art Cemtre Manager Valerie Keenan said.

“Other examples of her sculptural works were most recently showcased at the Salon des Refuses with a trio of Bagu in Darwin and earlier this year with a large sculpture included in an outdoor installation which is currently on display in Monaco, Valerie Keenan said.

Alison is one of two Queensland artists included in current exhibition in Shepparton.

Artists were invited to submit proposals for the Shepparton awards so Alison decided to create works which reflected on members of her immediate family to create 10 figurative artworks.

Once the proposal was accepted she then had a relatively short time frame to create the works in time for shipment to Shepparton in July.

Her attention to detail, understanding of colour balance and pattern making have resulted in a collection of beautifully defined and rendered works, each a masterpiece in itself.

Alison is a quiet achiever and deserves every accolade which comes her way.”

Alison Murray with some of the 10 bagu she completed for the 2016 National Indigenous Ceramic Art Awards. Photo V Keenan Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre