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.
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 Australian National Gallery. From this time, continuous program of exhibitions leading to eventual fulltime 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 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 Afghan women.
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. Exhibition of soumak carpets
and porcelain at Joss Graham Gallery, London,UK.
2012 Work exhibited at retrospective, Potters Cottage: a Tribute, at Manningham Art Gallery. Red Chair: floor talk at
Shire of Nillumbik.
2013 Seven weeks at porcelain studio in Jingdezhen, China. Recent Work. Exhibition at Weft, Melbourne.
2014 Eight weeks at porcelain studio in Jingdezhen, China . Exhibitions at Hill Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide; QDOS,
Lorne; and Weft, Melbourne.
2015 Eight weeks at porcelain studio in Jingdezhen, China.
ALEXANDRA COPELAND
Curriculum Vitae (2)
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
1983
1984
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2007
2010
2011
2013
2014
Distelfink Gallery, Melbourne.
Noel's Gallery, Red Hill.
Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne.
Distelfink Gallery, Melbourne.
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.
Gallery Miyabi, Osaka, Japan.
Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne.
Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne.
QDOS, Lorne.
Director’s Choice, Biennial of Ceramic Art, Spiez, Switzerland
BMGArt, Adelaide.
Solander Gallery, Canberra.
City of Hamilton Art Gallery.
Cintra Galleries, Brisbane.
Quadrivium Gallery, Sydney
Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria
Cintra Galleries, Brisbane
BMGArt, Adelaide
Beaver Galleries, Canberra
Group exhibitions at Dartington Pottery, England, and associated exhibitions at Bristol, London and New
York
Mornington Peninsula Art Gallery
Cintra Galleries, Brisbane
BMGArt, Adelaide
Solander Gallery, Canberra
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
William & Walnut Studio, Melbourne
Hill-Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Hill-Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide
Weft, Melbourne. (Retrospective)
Joss Graham Gallery, London
Ten Views of a Chinese Jar. Weft, Melbourne
Recent Work. Weft, Melbourne.
Hill-Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide
QDOS, Lorne
ALEXANDRA COPELAND
Curriculum Vitae (3)
Collections:
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, Hobart
Museo Communale, Deruta, Italy
City of Obu Collection, Obu, Japan
Artbank, Sydney, 1990, 1994
Shepparton Art Gallery, Victoria
Campaspe Regional Art Gallery, Victoria
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville
Campbelltown City Art Gallery, NSW
Queensland University of Technology
St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church, North Adelaide
Residence of the Australian Ambassador, Warsaw
Smorgon Collection, Melbourne
Australian Securities Commission, Sydney
Private collections in all Australian capital cities, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Miami, London, Munich, Geneva,
Berne, Colombo, Osaka and Kyoto.
Published Work written by Alexandra Copeland:
Costumes and Accessories from Central Asia. Exhibition catalogue, National Gallery of Victoria, 1979
Art Monthly, September, 1993. Sins of Commission.
Art Monthly, December, 1993. In Deruta
Craft Victoria, April, 1994. A Sojourn in Italy.
Ceramics Art and Perception - issue 24, 1996, A Painter of Pots.
Ceramics Technical - issue 2, 1996. Maiolica - A Personal Approach
Art Monthly - 1996. Some Thoughts on Art, Craft, Meaning and the Market
Ceramics Art and Perception - issue 32, 1998, Dartington.
An Artist’s Guide to the Ceramics Museums of Europe. Artist’s Travel Guides, 1999
1999 Sydney Myer Fund International Ceramics Award. A Commentary
The Fin, Australian Financial Review May 12,1999. In History’s Firing Line.
Ceramics Technical – issue 11, 2000, Contemporary Maiolica in Toronto
Ceramics Technical – issue 12, 2001, Ichon Ceramics Festival, South Korea
ALEXANDRA COPELAND
Curriculum Vitae (4)
Publications including work by Alexandra Copeland
The New Maiolica: Contemporary Approaches to Colour and Technique. Matthias Ostermann.
A & C Black (London, UK), University of Pennsylvania Press (Philadelphia, USA) and Allen and Unwin Pty Ltd., (Sydney,
Australia). 1999
The Ceramic Narrative. Matthias Ostermann. A&C Black (London, UK), University of Pennsylvania Press
(Philadelphia, USA) and Allen and Unwin Pty Ltd., (Sydney, Australia). 2006
Masters: Earthenware. Matthias Osterman. Lark Books, New York, 2010
World of Interiors magazine. November,2010
Awards:
Shepparton Art Gallery Sidney Myer Fund Award, 1992, judge Gwyn Hansen-Pigott.
Australia Council for the Arts Artist's Development Grant, 1992.
Eugene Kupsch Award for Ceramics, Mornington Peninsula, 1994, judge Kenneth Hood.
14th Biennial of Ceramic Art, Spiez, Switzerland, Third Prize, 1994.