Alfred Lowe
Born 1996 Snake Well, Northern Territory, Australia.
Lives and works Adelaide, South Australia.
Language group: Arrernte
About
Alfred Lowe is an Arrernte person from Snake Well in the central desert, north of Alice Springs. Alfred grew up in Alice Springs and completed his schooling there, moving to Adelaide in 2014. Alfred still resides in Adelaide and started making ceramics in early 2021, working out of the APY Studio in Adelaide.
Alfred uses clay/ceramics to explore themes of Country using form and texture informed by his intimate knowledge of the central desert landscape. He hand builds forms, creating organic vessels, and applies underglazes and a range of mark-making to the surface.
Alfred’s interest in fine arts is heavily influenced and inspired by his upbringing. Late in Clifford Possum’s career, he was Alfred’s neighbour and Alfred recalls standing on truck tyres to peer over the fence and watch Clifford paint for hours at a time. He also lived opposite Araluen Arts and Cultural Precinct and spent a significant amount of time there as a child/teen.
Central Australia is a politically and racially charged region and this has fuelled Alfred’s keen interest in politics and racial justice. In particular how culture and identity are navigated and manifested in modern times. These themes are underlying in Alfred's work; as an early career artist he is still examining how these influences and experiences are reflected in his artistic practice.
Artist Statement
Who are your idols?
For many of us, the first people we idolise are family. Our idols influence every aspect of our lives form the way we dress to the way we make art.
For me, the most influential artistic idols are my Adelaide Art Centre colleagues, especially the senior painters. These artists work with a sense of self and a technique so imbued with confidence; laying down mark after mark with conviction and a self-assured flow. This is a skill that comes from years of both artistic and cultural practice.
Although each artists’ practice is unique, there is a parallel story woven into each work. A story not just of culture but of an artist’s place within that culture. This shared story allows for an artistic practice that appears magical.
Our idols have idols and like us they weren’t taught through formal education. No one sits down to teach a young person exactly how to paint, weave or sculpt. It is taught through observation, mimicry, and repetition.
Learning through observation ensures that even as aesthetics evolve over time and different mediums are adopted, there remains a constant story and spirit in the work. It becomes a young artists goal not just to imitate the skill of their idols but also to imitate their fearlessness.
Acknowledgements & Collaborators
APY Art Centre Collective
Alfred's residency is supported by City of Fremantle.
#alfredlowe #apyartcentrecollective
Exhibiting at
Fremantle Arts Centre
FAC is a multi-arts organisation based in a historic building complex in Fremantle, Western Australia.
FAC is an IOTA24 Major Exhibition Partner.
Address
1 Finnerty Street, Fremantle