MALCOLM GREENWOOD IN CONVERSATION WITH JOSHUA YELDHAM

Join us for a special artist talk as Malcolm Greenwood is joined in conversation by fellow artist Joshua Yeldham to discuss ‘Dialogues in Clay’ — Greenwood’s major solo exhibition.

Dialogues in Clay is a body of work comprising a contemplative assembly of ceramic heads gathered in silent exchange.  Each form is different, yet with a presence symbolic of shared humanity.  This body of work exalts the act of listening, the importance of dialogue, and the significance of community.  Rooted in the ritual of gathering  (so often around sharing food) these figures evoke a vision of a shared future in an inclusive and multicultural world.

Our world, country and community are a rich and diverse mixture of many cultures.  Our greatest challenge is to build and maintain an inclusive community where it is possible to be enriched by this diverse mixture of cultures, rather than to be locked in conflict.

There are, I feel two important keys to achieving such a community/society.  One is generosity, sharing and helping when people are in need.  I think its possible to break down many barriers when we share our knowledge, experience, and resources.

Another key to an inclusive community depends on dialogue; dialogue which is increasing our collective and individual knowledge, addressing issues which may divide us and querying our own thinking and practices.

Good dialogue will require us to effectively communicate with, understand and respect all our neighbours.  Most critical to this is to maintain an open mind, communicate, be compassionate, embrace differences and to really listen to each other.

My series of heads is a representation of a diverse group in the process of communicating and listening respectfully.

This notion of dialogue and real, active listening to each other is particularly relevant today when the world community is in such turmoil, disagreement and so divided…….Europe, Middle East and the USA as a few most prominent examples.

In essence we are all the same, but different ……we have a shared humanity.

Wouldn’t we have a more vibrant interesting community if we embraced and learnt from our neighbours’ different cultures and learned to live together?

– Malcolm Greenwood

As this talk has a limited capacity, we encourage you to secure your spot promptly.