Savanhdary Vongpoothorn synthesizes elements of Theravada Buddhism, traditional Lao textiles, minimalism and the Australian landscape in the reconstruction of a narrative about provincial identity and displacement as a result of war.
Savanhdary Vongpoothorn / Artist biography
Savanhdary Vongpoothorn was born in Laos in 1971 and immigrated to Australia in 1979. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from UWS (1992) and a Master of Art in Visual Arts from UNSW (CoFA) (1993). Vongpoothorn is fascinated with the nature of repetition. This is most apparent in the artist’s trademark piercing of the canvas, which has been read variously as a metaphor for weaving or sewing, or the repetitive elements in meditation (breathing, chanting).
Information / http://www.martinbrownefineart.com/index.htm
Vongpoothorn’s diverse influences unite in her finely textured abstract canvases. Vongpoothorn’s work is included in public and private collections, including the Queensland Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Australia, and Macquarie Bank. She has exhibited widely in shows including Uncommon worlds: Aspects of Contemporary Australian Art at the National gallery of Australia and the 2006 Biennale of Sydney. In 2001 she held an Australia Council studio residency in Tokyo, and in 2000 she was part of the Royal Overseas League Studio Residency in Scotland.
