Creative Spotlight | Christine Wiltshier

Published on 10 May 2021

Tell us a bit about who you are and what kind of creative work you make
I am an artist maker researcher living in the Gladesville area. I began my art training at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney gaining a Fine Arts (Textiles) degree.

My art practice has two interconnected sides: In my studio I work with, and at times subvert, the rule-based conventions of traditional textile hand making, exploring contemporary avenues for ‘crafts’. Following process-led experiments; I follow an idea, technique and or material and, through making, allow artworks to emerge. I engage with a range of media including textiles, text, photography, sound and video.

Outside of the studio I work as part of the arts and health initiative Arterie, at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.

How does your personal history, culture or experience inform your creative work?
I come from a line of hand makers and grew up at a time when making by hand was also taught and encouraged at school. People surrounding me could turn their hand(s) to anything really from textile making and repairing, gardening, cooking, car and home maintenance. No surprise really that hand making sits at the centre of my art practice! I’m especially interested in finding contemporary ways to share textile hand making skills in our ever-growing digitally dominated world.

What is a creative project that you’ve worked on that you’re really proud of? Why?
I am particularly proud and excited about an ongoing project, the (mistake) Making Station, a participatory artwork which I have exhibited a number of times over the past few years. The ‘Station’ is part of a UNSW Art, Design and Architecture Master of Fine Arts (Research) project and is a refined version of my studio-making table. There, I explore the occurrence of mistakes in hand-knitting as a generative process, rather than just something you want to unravel.

By placing this participatory artwork into a gallery space my aim is to make the artist’s (mistake) making process visible. I am also inviting visitors to activate a usually static space, contributing to the notion of marking mistakes, chatting and helping make a knitted artwork to include in the exhibition.

I’m very excited about the next iteration of the (mistake) Making Station, a participatory artwork. In October it will be part of an exhibition that documents the results of my Masters research inquiry .

What’s your favourite part of working as an artist / creative?
My favourite part of working as an artist is the continual learning. I love experimenting in and out of the studio and embracing the exciting and sometimes scary element of not knowing where something is taking me.

We always love recommendations! Who are some other local artists we should check out?
Check out fellow artist Jessika Steiner. She is a wonderful abstract landscape painter, jewellery maker and amazing art teacher.

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