Lisa Furno
Image courtesy of Helpmann Academy
Biography
Lisa Furno integrates photography, objects, performance, installations and contemporary jewellery into her practice.
“As a Jeweller and Maker, Lisa uses second-hand materials to create thought provoking objects and installations. Each object invites audiences to unravel its layers of meaning and discover a slightly dark sense of humour, one that challenges our relationship with consumerism and asks important questions about its long-term social, ethical and environmental impact.’’ Steph Cibich
Lisa completed an Advance Diploma in Jewellery and Object Design at Enmore Design Centre TAFE NSW, in 2006 and in 2011 moved to Adelaide to join Gray Street Workshop as an access tenant.
In 2014 she was invited to be an artist-in-residence at Manukau Faculty of Arts, Auckland, New Zealand and, with the support of Mary Curtis and Fran Allison, created Made, a major new body of work that was presented twice in New Zealand and in Sydney.
Returning to study, Lisa completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts in Jewellery and Metal at the University of South Australia, under the guidance of Leslie Matthews in 2016.
Lisa has participated in several workshops including Soul Now, an intensive workshop by Dutch jeweller, Ruudt Peter, in the Netherlands, and Angst and Jewellery by Swiss artist David Bielander, at RMIT inMelbourne, both in 2019.
In 2019 Lisa undertook a mentorship with Catherine Truman and residency at Gray Street Workshop and in 2020 was invited to became a partner of the workshop.
In 2022 Lisa moved to Northern NSW to set up a home and studio and in 2024 was an artist-in-residence at The Nancy Fairfax Studio at Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah.
Lisa has exhibited nationally and internationally including, Itami International Craft Exhibition, Museum of Arts and Crafts; Japan, Royal Scottish Academy, Scotland, 9 Marh Project; Russia, The See Here, Wellington; New Zealand, and Carriage Works, Sydney.
Lisa lives and works on Bundjalung Nation and acknowledges the Traditional Owners of this land, the Arakwal people.
ARtist STATEMENT
My recent body of work integrates masks, contemporary jewellery, moving image and photography.
A playfully serious and politically dark body of work which draws attention to environmental issues and social concerns of our everyday consumption and waste.
A collection of work made from an array of discarded materials created by the daily activities of my family’s household, donated from friends and extended community. These materials have evolved intuitively through exploration, interrogation and experimentation, and transformed into masks and contemporary jewellery.
The masks, when worn by my family and I, become animated through the movement and actions of the wearer, evoking emotion and connection through different expressions invested in the masks. Captured by the camera and documented in a series of photographic performances and moving images, taken in and around our home on Bundjalung country, NSW.
This new body of work reflects the anxious expressions of my internal monologue in everyday life. The chatty thoughts that occupy my mind about consumption, recycling, waste, buying second hand, environmental issues, politics, capitalism, boycotting billionaires, war, and climate change all run around in my head. Through working with my hands, I find a way to channel my anxiety and calm these anxious expressions, in a world that feels out of control.
Modern society is structured in a way that encourages overconsumption. Due to our increasingly fast pace, it seems we are all giving way to convenience, one single use item at a time. Looking at the embodied masks watching them come to life I wonder are they fighting for another chance, are they disappointed with their single use or have they crawled out from the dump yard to remind us they are never really gone?
