PRESS RELEASE: Deciphering Humanity: Printmakers Unveil Thought-Provoking Exhibition in Melbourne
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Deciphering Humanity: Printmakers Unveil Thought-Provoking Exhibition in Melbourne
Holmes -31.988780 116.016100
Print Council of Australia Gallery, Melbourne 18 March – 4 April 2025
Melbourne audiences are invited to experience Holmes -31.988780 116.016100, an evocative new exhibition by Australian artists Vanessa Wallace, Louise Grimshaw and Shanti Gelmi. Showcasing at the Print Council of Australia (PCA) Gallery, this exhibition offers a deeply considered exploration of personal histories, gendered experiences and cultural narratives.
As printmakers who challenge traditional techniques, Wallace, Grimshaw, and Gelmi’s diverse practices engage in experimental and contemporary processes that push the boundaries of their medium.
The exhibition extends works commissioned for UNFOLD, an exhibition of non-traditional artist books. Part of the IOTA24 Indian Ocean Craft Triennial, the exhibition, asked the artists to draw on their unique experiences as descendants of migrants to interrogate and unravel the interconnectedness of humanity within the environment, to capture an imagined sense of place, employ dialogue with existing sites, and explore their histories within the context of the Western Australian landscape.
For Holmes -31.988780 116.016100, they expand on their artist books—described as ‘indecipherable texts’—with new site specific sculptural and print works that respond to (and reconsider) the medium of artist books to the Print Council of Australia. This new body of work not only reimagines the concept of artist books but also examines the intricate relationship between place, identity and artistic collaboration.
At the heart of Holmes -31.988780 116.016100 is the concept of the indecipherable—a powerful metaphor for the complexities of humanity, connection and the ways narratives can be missed or fragmented due to our diverse cultural, social and gendered experiences. Through their reimagined artist books, Wallace, Grimshaw, and Gelmi embrace the beauty in what is not immediately understood, inviting viewers to engage with layers of meaning that unfold through time, interaction and perspective. The exhibition celebrates the variables of human experience as opportunities for deeper dialogue, encouraging us to listen, interpret and connect beyond the surface of language and form.
A Collaboration Forged in Shared Spaces
The artists are all members of Holmes Studio, an artist-run initiative in Boorloo (Perth) that has become a hub for creative exchange since its founding in 2022 by Gelmi and Grimshaw, with Wallace joining in 2023. Their shared practice is enriched by the collective’s emphasis on critique, open studios, and workshops, fostering a strong sense of artistic community. Holmes -31.988780 116.016100 is both a reference to this studio and an extension of their ongoing dialogue about place, belonging and sharing uniquely Western Australian identities and stories.
An Immersive and Inclusive Experience
In addition to thought-provoking artworks, the PCA exhibition in Melbourne will include artist talks and tours, as well as a tactile tour designed for visitors with disability. The hands-on experience, accompanied by braille and large-print booklets, will be led by the artists on Friday, 21 March, from 11 AM – 12 PM. Bookings can be made at TryBooking. https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1354326
This is a rare opportunity to experience the work of three innovative WA artists whose practices are rooted in the reimagining of print and sculpture. Audiences are encouraged to explore the interplay of history, materiality, and language within Holmes -31.988780 116.016100, where stories unfold in layered, tactile, and immersive ways.
Exhibition Details:
Dates: 18 March – 4 April 2025
Venue: Print Council of Australia Gallery, Melbourne
Artist-Led Tactile Tour: Friday, 21 March, 11 AM – 12 PM (Bookings required) Booking link: TryBooking https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1354326
Kindly supported by the Department of Local Government Sports and Culture, Western Australia.
Notes to Editors:
For media inquiries, interviews, or further high-resolution images, please contact: Shanti Gelmi
shantigelmi@gmail.com
+61 408 903 426
About the Artists
Together, these three artists have made a significant impact on the WA arts community. Between 2019 and 2024, they have presented 12 solo and 5 collaborative exhibitions, participated in 38 group shows locally and nationally, and exhibited internationally twice. Their achievements include 18 awards, features in 19 national and 5 international publications, and participation in 6 residencies. Their work is held in 6 major institutional collections, and they co-founded Holmes Studios, fostering collaboration among 8 WA artists. Now, they bring their uniquely Western Australian creative practices and storytelling to a national audience.
Vanessa Wallace
Vanessa Wallace’s print-based practice centers on bookmaking and the quiet moments of everyday life. Since 2000, she has built an ongoing archive of images capturing the ground beneath our feet— collected through time-based walks or singular journeys. Using layered analogue and digital print processes with autographic mark-making, Wallace selectively erases and reintroduces details, reflecting the shifting nature of memory. Her works, including Back in the Moment and Midweek Recall, feature deliberately obscured text—fragments of language that surface like fleeting recollections—creating a still, contemplative space where memory and perception intertwine.
https://www.vanessa-wallace.com
Louise Grimshaw
Louise Grimshaw’s multidisciplinary practice spans printmaking, sculpture, and installation, exploring impermanence, loss, and the cyclical nature of existence. Her work captures the tension between remembrance and forgetting, as seen in Remember a Friend and Sink or Swim, special edition silkscreen prints inspired by memorial benches overlooking the ocean. Through layered imagery, repetition, and material transformation, Grimshaw creates immersive works that invite reflection on personal and collective memory. Pushing the boundaries of traditional print techniques, she challenges perception and evokes contemplation on life’s interconnectedness and fleeting moments.
Shanti Gelmi
Shanti Gelmi’s multidisciplinary practice examines human connection, identity, and cultural experience through installation, digital art, sculpture, print, and drawing. Her signature net-like structures symbolise the delicate balance between societal constraints and personal fluidity—both connecting and restricting. As a first-generation Australian of Indian migrants, Gelmi explores themes of assimilation, migration and cultural dissonance. Her artist books for Holmes -31.988780 116.016100 use indecipherable text and sculptural manipulation as metaphors for the complexities of migrant identity, highlighting the tension between transformation, belonging, and the unspoken narratives that shape lived experience.
https://www.shantigelmi.com
