Paper and food art on show

Melbourne paper-craft artist Amanda May Lee and textiles artist Chloe Smith have installed their artworks at Library at The Dock’s foyer.

The artworks, part of Craftwalk at the Melbourne-wide Craft Cubed Festival, reflect the two artists’ expertise and Docklands’ unique character.

Ms Lee has created miniature paper Banksia flowers, echoing the nearly completed Banksia tower in NewQuay, at the library’s water-facing front window.

When viewed from inside the library, the paper Banksia is in the same frame with the actual cylinder-shaped Banksia building, creating an artistic contrast to one of Docklands’ newest buildings.

Ms Lee, who used to work in NewQuay, said she wanted to create an artwork that featured something native to Docklands.

“Docklands is such a new area and I want to be mindful of its history and maintain its identity,” she said.

“Banksia is quite new to Docklands and it also shows the area’s personality.”

“The foyer of Library at The Dock is the perfect place for a Banksia of a different material,” she said.

Ms Lee also said the delicate paper material was visually linked to nature and city living.

“Like the blank page at the beginning of a library book, the pieces have been crafted from white paper,” she said.

“The curiosity and creativity of humans turned nature into paper; now it takes on a form visually similar to nature again. In the context of a future that looks to be increasingly city-based, this represents an aspiration for our urban life to coexist with or pay tribute to nature.”

Chloe Smith, who specialises in fabrics, has installed realistic food artworks made from textiles at the library’s foyer.

Her artworks include fried rice, noodles, a fruit platter and a chiko roll.

The two artists’ work will be on display until the end of August.