re/JOY: Australian Design Centre Presents Exhibition by Thai-born Australian Artist Vipoo Srivilasa

In its 60th anniversary year, Australian Design Centre (ADC) is delighted to present re/JOY from 21 November 2024 to 29 January 2025, a major exhibition by Thai-born Australian artist Vipoo Srivilasa. re/JOY honours and celebrates the multi-layered personal migration  stories of people from all over the world who, like Vipoo, have made Australia their home. 

In 2023, the award-winning ceramic artist issued a public call-out for donations of broken  ceramic objects that held significant meaning for their owners, and for their stories explaining why. From the responses Vipoo chose seven pieces and stories that resonated with him to  base his striking new 1.5-metre-tall ceramic sculptures on. These included a teapot made in  Korea, a terracotta tile from India, and a clay sculpture from Mexico, all damaged in some  way yet still precious. Vipoo has also made an eighth sculpture referencing his own  experiences moving from Thailand to Australia, based around a button from his grandfather that holds strong family connections.  

re/JOY is a collaborative, community-driven project designed to engage with overseas-born  Australians. It examines the emotional connection we have with everyday objects and their  role in our lives through migration experiences and memories. It also draws out the complex  feelings associated with overseas relocation, the difficult process of gaining Australian  permanent residency, and the many meanings of home. 

Vipoo was awarded a $100,000 VACS Commissioning Grant from Creative Australia for this  project with ADC as the commissioning organisation. The project includes the exhibition, an  artist monograph, digital materials and innovative public programs; the exhibition will be  seen around Australia from 2025-2027 through ADC On Tour, including at regional venues. 

ADC CEO and Artistic Director Lisa Cahill said, “In 2022, when Vipoo suggested  collaborating with me and Australian Design Centre to present a new exhibition telling stories 

about migration, I jumped at the opportunity. This project is joyful, playful and hopeful—a rich  tapestry of humanity that reconnects with broken objects to reveal their deeper meaning.” 

In 2023 Vipoo won ADC’s inaugural MAKE Award: Biennial Prize for Innovation in Australian  Craft and Design, with a prize of $35,000. Vipoo generally works in series with different  themes, including queerness, spirituality, loneliness, culture and migration. “Even though the  subjects seem kind of serious, the work is really positive,” he says. “I find joy in all these  places.” Beauty and humour are key elements of his practice: “It’s easy for people to  understand my work when I present it in an accessible and positive way.”

About Vipoo Srivilasa 

The Melbourne-based artist grew up in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to Australia in 1997.  His practice primarily focuses on ceramics, though he also produces works on paper, mixed media sculptures, bronze statues and large-scale public art installations. He often  incorporates food and interactive performance into his ceramic projects, creating a unique  and immersive experience for viewers. Recent projects include Happy Australian at the  National Portrait Gallery; Positive Dining at Workshop restaurant in Bangkok; and Garden of  Love for 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art at Queensland Art Gallery and  Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane. 

For more information, visit australiandesigncentre.com