Robin Best installed at IAP
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in Perth, Western Australia, Robin Best attended the South Australian School of Art, Australia, to attain her Diploma Design Ceramics in 1976. Best continued her studies at the University of South Australia, Australia and received her Graduate Diploma Visual Arts in 1993. After her studies, Best went on to develop her work in Jingdezhen, China which resulted in work included in the 2013 exhibition “New Blue and White” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
ABOUT THE WORK
With a strong interest in Sino culture, Robin Best has lived and worked in the old porcelain city of Jingdezhen, China for five years. Here, Chinese artisans make the fine translucent porcelain vases on which she applies her meticulous on-glaze history paintings. She has trained extensively in both Chinese Xin Cai (oil painting on porcelain) and the German equivalent of Meissen oil painting in the Oriental style.
Best’s work successfully merges internationally-sourced materials, traditional techniques, and historic imagery with contemporary themes of natural preservation and environmentalism. Through her work, Best raises awareness of important historical events still relevant today.
Robin Best’s ceramics reflect her attention to the importance of location. Her forms are classical, meditative and reflective, and has ranged from marine forms to works decorated by Ernabella artist Nyukuna Baker. Her most recent body of work undertaken during and after a number of residencies in China reflects the complexity of the cultural, commercial and political history of China, as well as the work of two scientist plant-collectors: Mark Catesby and William Bartram.
Robin Best is represented by Ferrin Contemporary.
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