Alexandra Copeland
Curriculum Vitae
Born Alexandra Hipwell, December 18, 1947, Melbourne.
1966-68 Completed Film and Television Production and Design at Swinburne, Melbourne. Alumna, School of Film and Television, Victoria College of the Arts, Melbourne.
1969-70 Production manager in Australian film industry. Beginning of work in maiolica ceramics. Work in printmaking and painting.
1971-72 Extensive travel in Asia, Europe and North Africa. Visited major museums and collections including studio of Bernard Leach, Museum of Ceramics at Faenza, Matisse chapel at Vence, Picasso's pottery studio at Vallauris.
1973-83 Painting, work in ceramics, while dealing in tribal art and textiles. Travel in this period included a visit to the U.K., and extensive travel in South-east Asia, Afghanistan and India. Tribal art and textile collections shown and acquired by National Gallery of Victoria and National Gallery of Australia.
1983 First solo exhibition at Distelfink Gallery in Melbourne with acquisition by National Gallery of Victoria. Later purchase by National Gallery of Australia. From this time, continuous program of exhibitions leading to eventual full-time work in ceramics.
1989 Extensive travel in China. Visited Japan to study ceramics at museums and arranged gallery representation. Eight subsequent exhibitions of ceramics and paintings in Japan.
1992 Awarded a grant by the Australia Council for the Arts towards study of glaze painted ceramics in Italy and Turkey.
1993 Worked at maiolica ceramics studios in Deruta, Italy for two months. Work acquired by the Museo Communale, Deruta. One month studying traditional Islamic maiolica techniques in Kutahya, Turkey.
1994 Accepted by judging for entry to 14th Biennale Internationale de Ceramique d'Arte, Vallauris, France, and Biennial of Ceramic Art, Spiez Switzerland. Awarded third prize at Spiez. Invited by judges to exhibit 15 large works in solo exhibition at Spiez, Switzerland.
1995 Invited to exhibit at the City of Hamilton Art Gallery and address the gallery society.
1996 Invited to exhibit at the Bendigo Art Gallery.
1997 Two months Artist in Residence at Dartington Pottery, Devon, UK, and completed work for exhibition and sale in Britain.
1998 Invited to work for two months at Dartington Pottery to complete work for exhibition in Britain and Australia. Authored and published An Artist’s Travel Guide to the Ceramics Museums of Europe.
1999 Returned for two months residency at Dartington Pottery in May and June, and again in September and October. Address at National Gallery of Victoria: Maiolica: A Personal Approach.
2000 Invited to exhibit in Seduced by Colour: the New Maiolica at the George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto, and to take part in Historical and Contemporary Maiolica symposium on Maiolica ceramics. Invited exhibitor in Ceramics: The Australian Context at the Campbelltown City Art Gallery, NSW. Two months residency at Dartington Pottery in May and June.
2001 Two months residency at Dartington Pottery in June and July. Work featured at New York Gift Fair, and in Top Drawer (British Crafts Council). Invited to exhibit at Asia-Pacific Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition, Taiwan. Visited Ichon Ceramics Festival, South Korea.
2002 Represented Australia at the Asia-Pacific Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition, Taiwan.
2003 Worked in ceramics studios at Lampang, Thailand. Visited Jingdezhen, China, twice. Worked in studio with Chinese artist Lou Wei.
2004 Established weaving project. Designing and supervising rugs woven by women in Afghanistan.
2006 Five weeks at porcelain studio in Jingdezhen , China producing exhibition work.
2008 Ongoing painting. Ongoing designing of hand woven rugs. Dealing in Central Asian tribal and traditional textiles.
2010 Five weeks at porcelain studio in Jingdezhen , China producing exhibition work. Solo exhibition Joss Graham Gallery, London.
2013 Five weeks studio work, Jingdezhen, China.
Studio work in China continues each year to 2019.
Carpet design project for Afghan weavers continues to 2121.
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
1983 Distelfink Gallery, Melbourne.
1984 Noel's Gallery, Red Hill.
1988 Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne.
1989 Distelfink Gallery, Melbourne.
1990 Kazuha Gallery, Osaka, Japan.
Maruzen Gallery, Kyoto, Japan.
Seibu Gallery, Takarazuka, Japan.
Nishinotoin Gallery, Kyoto, Japan.
Gallery Nakajima, Amagasaki, Hoygo, Japan
Mitsukoshi Gion Gallery, Kyoto, Japan.
Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne.
Seiyu Art Salon, Osaka, Japan.
1991 Gallery Miyabi, Osaka, Japan.
1992 Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne.
1994 Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne.
QDOS, Lorne.
Director’s Choice, Biennial of Ceramic Art, Spiez, Switzerland
BMGArt, Adelaide.
Solander Gallery, Canberra.
1995 City of Hamilton Art Gallery.
Cintra Galleries, Brisbane.
1996 Quadrivium Gallery, Sydney
Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria
Cintra Galleries, Brisbane
BMGArt, Adelaide
1997 Beaver Galleries, Canberra
1998 Group exhibitions at Dartington Pottery, England, and associated exhibitions at Bristol, London and New York
Mornington Peninsula Art Gallery
Cintra Galleries, Brisbane
1999 BMGArt, Adelaide
Solander Gallery, Canberra
2000 Ceramics: The Australian Context, Campbelltown City Art Gallery, NSW
Seduced by Colour: the New Maiolica. George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto.
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2001 William & Walnut Studio, Melbourne
2002 Hill-Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide
2003 Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2004 Hill-Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide
2007 Weft, Melbourne. (Retrospective)
2010 City of Glen Eira Gallery, Melbourne
2010 Joss Graham Gallery, London
2011 Ten Views of a Chinese Jar. Weft, Melbourne
2013 Recent Work. Weft, Melbourne.
2014 Hill-Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide
QDOS, Lorne
2015 Weft Gallery, Melbourne
QDOS Gallery, Lorne
2016 Weft Gallery, Melbourne
QDOS Gallery, Lorne
2017 Weft Gallery, Melbourne
QDOS Gallery, Lorne
2018 QDOS Gallery, Lorne
2019 QDOS Gallery, Lorne
2021 Hill Smith Art Advisory, Adelaide
