Rebirth

My recent sculptural work has focused on using draped ceramic forms that are a metaphor for flesh, spirituality and the human experience. I also carve and shape, in clay, the contrasting textures of wood and bone. The complexity of the folds of fabric, and the subtleties of white on white, are issues that have captivated many artists before me. The complex and ambiguous shapes of drapery are appealing. The visual attraction of the flowing curves and different textures of the work invite touch and compel the viewers gaze to trace the lyrical lines of the sculpture, emphasising the sensuality of the material and form. The drapery partly conceals the bone and speaks to the issue of concealment and whitewashing that is currently being spotlighted and worked through in our culture in relation to various forms of abuse and oppression, including misogyny, sexual abuse and reclamation of Indigenous history. My work is about ambiguity and duality, spirit and flesh, skin and bone, concealment and exposure.

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Winner of the Bluethumb Sculpture Prize, 2022, Jodi Stewart's paintings and drawings have been selected for some of Australia’s most prestigious art prizes, such as the Portia Geach, the Shirley Hannan and the Adelaide Perry, while her sculptures have been finalists in the Tom Bass Sculpture Prize, the Kingaroy Sculpture Prize, Nillumbik Prize, Manning Prize and the Alice Prize. Stewart has been painting for over 30 years and graduated from the National Art School, Sydney, majoring in sculpture, in 2015. She was also the recipient of a two and a half year artists residency at Clifton Pugh’s ‘Dunmoochin’, a 20 acre bush property in Victoria. Stewart's work focuses on drapery as a metaphor for the bodies and experiences of women and is held in collections including: M.G. Dingle & G.B. Hughes Collection, Shoalhaven Regional Gallery Collection; Cedric Lee Collection; National Art School Collection; West Wollongong TAFE Library Collection; and The Lady Denman Museum Permanent Collection, NSW.