Logan Art Gallery

Local talent bound for art gallery

Memories of growing up in the City of Logan will be revisited when Brisbane fashion designer Helen Miller hosts an exhibition in the Logan Art Gallery early next year.

Raised in Shailer Park during the 1970s and 80s as the daughter of a Japanese mother and Scottish father, Helen is bringing her SOOKii exhibition to the gallery from January 27 to
March 11.

The face behind clothing label SOOKii is among the local and interstate artists who will be part of the gallery’s recently unveiled 2023 program.

Helen uses textiles, theatrical masks, costumes and digital prints to highlight themes of multiculturalism, cultural identity and sustainability.

Her gallery exhibition will showcase limited-edition digital prints, theatrical masks and costumes and a collection of signature ready-to-wear silk dresses from the SOOKii archive.

SOOKii is a variant of the Japanese word suki, meaning a liking or fondness for something.

Garments, as well as theatrical pieces created using recycled textiles, will hang from the gallery ceilings and grace the walls.

Helen said she was excited about the opportunity to exhibit her work in Logan Art Gallery.

“After creating for more than 20 years in Brisbane, I feel a sense of achievement being able to exhibit where I grew up and was formed as a person,” she said.

“My show also reflects my multicultural upbringing in Logan.”

Helen is influenced by her Japanese mother’s post war and immigrant experience and has re-imagined vintage Japanese kimonos into ready-to-wear garments, costumes and objects.

She said she was proud to be returning home for this exhibition.

“You spend your young life wanting to move out not knowing what might happen.

“And then to come back after all these years with an exhibition that celebrates the ups and downs of my life experiences and reconnects with my upbringing in the culturally diverse melting pot that is the City of Logan.”

City Lifestyle Chair, Councillor Laurie Koranski said the 2023 program offered the community the chance to explore a diverse range of artistic experiences.

“We are keen to nurture and explore the diversity of works from artists like Helen Miller with strong connections to the City of Logan supported by significant touring exhibitions from around Australia,” Cr Koranski said.

“The program will especially highlight the wealth of talent we have within the city with a diverse range of talented artisans, designers and makers.”

 Another key 2023 exhibition will feature portraits by Woodridge artist Jun Chen from the annual Archibald Prize Exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

The Logan Art Gallery display will feature all nine of the portraits Jun has had accepted into the prestigious annual exhibition between 2006 and 2021.

Jun came closest to Archibald glory in 2017 when his painting of the late art dealer Ray Hughes was named runner-up.

Other highlights of the 2023 program include:

• To the Light by Hopewell Collective.
• The Pride of Logan by Pamela See.
• Interlace by Australasian Contemporary Lacemakers.
• Conflated by NETS Victoria.
• Landscape paintings by Rochedale South artist Mei Mei Liu.

The full program will be available online later this year.