We have been involved with SALA for many years as the sponsor for the Emerging Artist Award.
The City Rural Emerging Artist Award is for artists with less than five years of professional experience in the early stages of their careers. The prize consists of $2500 cash.
Applicants supply two images to SALA and provide a statement about their work and background as artists. Finalists are shortlisted prior to the Festival. Judging of the award will take place during the festival, and the winner will be announced at a ceremony at the conclusion of the Festival.
Announced as the 2024 finalists for this award are Eliana Della Flora, Lisa Khan and Adele Sliuzas.
Elliana Della Flora – Artist Biography
Eliana Della Flora is an emerging artist based in Tarntanya Adelaide. Her practice focuses on the sculptural use of glass, employing a range of traditional and experimental glassmaking techniques and materials. She is interested in the complex relationship between humans and the material world, and intrigued by the information passively or actively embodied in materials. To explore these concepts she approaches glass as a Materia Prima that can be transformed into seemingly limitless possibilities. She is captivated by the material properties of glass, and how it can embody invisible forces, and hold memories of past states.
My artistic practice looks at my relationship with family history, textiles, objects and the poetics of ‘Australian’ space. This project speaks to ideas of belonging, and a sense of place held in contrast with cultural loss. ‘Catchment’ speaks to the connection between Sauerbier house, on the banks of the Onkaparinga River, and my childhood property in the Adelaide hills, part of the water catchment for the Onkaparinga river. This story holds in tension trickier, crunchier, sadder parts. Parts that take time to work through. The meditative process of creating textiles is meaningful and healing for me.
Lisa Khan – Artist Biography
I was born in 1987 and I’m from Coober Pedy. Yankunytjatjara/antakirinja is my language. I paint my Grandmother’s Country, she was born at Mount Barry near Coober Pedy. And My Grandfather’s country, he was born at Wallintina Station. I paint the parente tjukurpa, it’s a very important story from my grandfather’s country about the parente lizard that stole the grinding stone. I also like to paint my home Coober Pedy. Growing up we used to look for Opal and play in the sand.
Adele Sliuzas – Artist Biography
Adele Sliuzas is an arts writer, curator and emerging textile artist. Since 2022 Adele’s practice has included working with textiles. Their residency and exhibition at Sauerbier House in 2024 is their first public exhibition as a textile artist since completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts at UniSA in 2012. Adele feels driven to use their hands to make, creating work about the history and poetics of Australian space. Adele is the Visual Arts Curator, The Mill, was Writer Coordinator, Neoterica 2024 and previously Assistant Curator, JamFactory. They have contributed to Artlink, Fine Print, Runway, Art&Australia and Un.
My artistic practice looks at my relationship with family history, textiles, objects and the poetics of ‘Australian’ space. This project speaks to ideas of belonging, and a sense of place held in contrast with cultural loss. ‘Catchment’ speaks to the connection between Sauerbier house, on the banks of the Onkaparinga River, and my childhood property in the Adelaide hills, part of the water catchment for the Onkaparinga river. This story holds in tension trickier, crunchier, sadder parts. Parts that take time to work through. The meditative process of creating textiles is meaningful and healing for me.