2023 CHARTS Awards Event A Success
On 28 October at the Mill Gallery, Adelaide CBD, the Community Housing Association of South Australia (CHIA SA) recognised the artistic talents of community and social housing tenants; participants of the 2023 Community Housing Art (CHARTS) Awards.
Biennially celebrated, this year’s CHARTS Awards shines a spotlight on the vibrant tapestry of creativity and talent showcased by residents from 12 community housing providers in South Australia.
This event attracted an impressive 130 entries spanning four categories: Framed/Hanging; 3D/Sculpture; Photography, Digital and Graphic; and Poetry and Literature.
Luke Westenberg, the Chief Executive Officer of CHIA SA, noted that CHARTS showcases talented tenants residing in community and social housing.
“We know art brings people together, and by displaying their artwork, we hope CHARTS inspires engagement and a feeling of belonging in the community among tenants,” said Mr Westenberg. “Congratulations to the winners and all the entrants for sharing their creativity, with a broad range of works entered from established artists to artists who picked up a paintbrush for the first time.”
We invite art enthusiasts to explore the CHARTS exhibition, which remains open until 12 October 2023. Don’t miss the chance to cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award, which will be presented on the exhibition’s closing day at The Mill.
This year, Unity Housing tenants contributed a total of 39 entries.
We extend our gratitude to all Unity Housing tenants who generously shared their creative talents by participating in the 2023 Community Housing Arts (CHARTS) Awards. We value and appreciate the collective efforts of each participant.
Thank you for making this event a success!
The 2023 CHARTS Award recipients are:
Framed / Hanging
• Youth category: Pearl, YourPlace
• Emerging category: Linda, Kingfisher
• General category: Luke, Silverton
3D / Sculpture
• Youth Entrants category: Zachary, Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System – Abstract Art Piece
• Emerging category: Ty, Cloudwood
• General category: Alycia, City Cam, Google Streetview, Screenshot
Photography, Digital and Graphic Art
• Youth Entrants category: Amber, Slow Morning Spent below a Polyester Canopy
• Emerging category: Leonard, Reflections Upside Down
• General category: Phillip, Spirit Dance
Poetry and Literature
• Youth Entrants category: Gislene, Voices of My Past – Kuginda
• Emerging category: Kym, Merciful Silence
• General category: Adeeb, Something Wrong (Unity Housing tenant)
First Nations Artist: Marie, The Storyteller (Unity Housing tenant)
Artist Living with Disability: Jungle, Abstract Shon Number 9 (Unity Housing tenant)
A panel of judges reviewed submissions and based their decisions on originality, technique, composition, message, interest and overall impact. Judges included:
• Artist, Amy Joy-Watson;
• The Art Bus teacher, Miranda Harris;
• Artist Claire Wildish; and
• Patron of arts and community organisations and ABC radio presenter, Peter Goers.
Unity Tenant CHARTS Winners
Marie – General Entry (19 & over). “The Storyteller”.
Medium: acrylic paint
Description: I studied the textured markings in the wood, then painted the story it was narrating to me. The light and shade in its contours, the blending of colours and textures rangeing from seascape, to mineral rich soil, green hills and desert, and so on, make up the story. The viewer just has to interpret the story they see.
From the artist: I am an Aboriginal (Wemba Wemba/Gunditjmara/Wergaia) artist who was born at and lives in Bordertown, S.A. I have been involved in various areas of the arts for more than 30 years. Dance, Acting, Movement Directing, Assistant Director/Choreographer on projects and Director/Script Writer on a theatre production, Make-up Artistry. In the past 10 years I have also been involved in digital storytelling, time lapse photography, light painting and stencil light painting. I was also involved in a short documentary about my Mum, Jessie Clarke. This project is currently ongoing. Writing stories and poetry are also an interest of mine.
Adeeb – General Entry (19 & over). Poetry – Something Wrong
Medium: Written word.
Description: Something Wrong is a poem that muses about existence, the meaning of life and the ability to express oneself. The poem infers that there is something wrong with the poet. He is born and will die not knowing what is wrong, or why he was born. So he lives, loves, works, travels through life without true choices. Even words cannot explain how to express his deep feelings about himself, his life and existence.
From the artist: Adeeb is an Iraqi-Australian poet and translator. He has published 25 poetry collections in English and Arabic and won the major prize of Iraqi poetry in 1999. He has translated works from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, China and the USA. Adeeb now lives in Adelaide as an Australian citizen. His poetry has been published in The Best Australian Poems 2007, The Best Australian Poems 2012 and the publications Southerly, Meanjin and Friendly Street Poets. Adeeb is honoured to have his English language poetry published in Australia, which is a fantastic achievement for any poet writing in a second language. Further information is available at adeebk.com
Jungle – General Entry (19 & over). “Abstract Shon Number 9”.
Medium: Acrylic on linen
Description: This painting is about pure colour and shape, creating conversation and allowing your eyes to dance around the picture. It is taken to the maximum level, artistically speaking.
From the artist: I knew that art was going to play a huge part in my life from an early age. In 1978 I started to draw after a life changing event, later in 1992 I started to develop my skills in painting. I would estimate I have created over 30000 pieces of artwork to date. My home is an art gallery as well as my home and is open to the public for their enjoyment. The whole house is an art experience dedicated to love, hope and spirit.
