Robin Best



Birth Place: Perth, Western Australia
Year of Birth: 1953

Background:
Robin Best is a ceramicist who works collaboratively with Anangu/Pitjantjatjara artist Nyukana Baker and Huang Xiu Qian of Jingdezhen in China.

Recent porcelain work includes the Marine Series incorporating the studies of animals and plants of the Southern Ocean; and Orientalist Series that uses the subject of cultural exchange between Asia with Europe.

Robin Best is represented exclusively in WA by Gadfly Gallery

Education:
1993 Graduate Diploma Visual Arts, University of South Australia
11976 Diploma Design/Ceramics, South Australian School of Art

EmploymentProjects:
1998–2004 Coordinator for the Ernabella Ceramics Project based in the Anangu-Pitjantjatjara lands of north-west South Australia
1994–02 Coordinator of the CADCeram Industrial Ceramics Project introducing Computer Aided Design to Manufacture to the Ceramics Studio of
JamFactory. Funded by the VACB of Australia Council and ArtSA
2000–1 Coordinator of Design Lab Project funded by VACB of Australia Council
Acting Head of Ceramics Studio of JamFactory
1985–89 Lecturer in Ceramics at RMIT and Monash University

Awards / Grants:
2005 AsiaLink Residency Beijing
Australia China Council Resideny Beijing and Shanghai
2004 Artist in Residence, Seto Japan
2003 VACB/Australia Council grant for new work
Arts Projects Assistance Scheme ArtSA
2002 Arts Projects Assistance Scheme ArtSA
2001 South Australian Ceramic Award
1999 South Australian Design Awards Merit award
Australia Council Development Grant to research CAD–CAM applications as applied to industrial ceramics in Europe and UK
1995 Arts Projects Assistance Scheme, ArtSA

Group Exhibitions:
2009 'Only Porcelain', Gadfly Gallery,Perth WA
2008 'Finding Malila', Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Western Australia
2007 Skins of Asia World Ceramic Biennale Icheon Korea.
2006 'Writing the Painting' Adelaide Festival of Arts University of South Australia
'The Secret History of Blue and White' – Asialink touring exhibition to Vietnam, China, Singapore and Bangkok.
'Australian Impressionism', Gallerie Rosenhauer Gottingen, Germany
2005 'Collect' Victoria & Albert Museum, London
'Snuff' Madame Mao’s Dowry Shanghai
Ceramics from Seto Collection Seto Japan
2004 2004 – 'Australian Culture Now' The Ian Potter Centre, Melbourne
'New Work with Old Cultures, Madame Mao’s Dowry', Shanghai
2003 'Ancient Futures' Kyoto, Japan
'Light Black' JamFactory and touring to The Craft Museum on Modern Art,Tokyo; Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyoto; National Museum for the Arts, Taiwan
2002 'Robin Best – Marine Forms' Madame Mao’s Dowry, Shanghai for Australia Week
'Wild Nature' JamFactory
Ritual of Tea JamFactory
1990 'Girl Traversing the Yarra – Neon Animation', Melbourne Sculpture Triennial

Published Writing:
2007 'Heartland/Homeland' – Object Magazine
2006 'Guan Wei', Artlink Sept 200
2005 'Huang Xiu Qian', China Pictorial – Millennium Issue
2003 'Between You and Me', Craft Victoria
1999 'Tjungu Warkarintja – Working Together', SMARTS Vol 18
1996 'Computers, Machines and Mathematics', ARTLINK, Vol16 No3

Recent Publications:
2006 – Writing a Painting – Adelaide Review, John Neylon
2006 – Writing a Painting - Adelaide Advertiser, Margot Osborne
2005 - New Work with Old Cultures – Ceramics Art and Perception, Issue 59 Dr Christine Nicholls
2004 - Australian Contemporary – Ceramics Art and Perception Issue 58, Stephen Bowers.
2003- Marine Nature in Porcelain – Artlink Vol 22 NWendy Walker
2003 – Light Black review by Margot Osborne Object July 2003
2003 – Light Black review by Margot Osborne Artlink Vol 23 No2
2003 – Light Black- Craft Victoria online
2002 – Marine Nature in Porcelain – the recent work of Robin Best, Artlink Vol 22 No 4 Vivonne Thwaites
2002 - South Australian Ceramic Awards, 2002, Ceramics Art and Perception Issue 49
2001 – Robin Best-Recent Work, Craft Arts International No. 53.
2001 – Artlink – Review SA art, Sept.
2001 – The Concertina Bowl, Craft Bulletin,1/2001
1997 - SA designer makers turn to industry, ARTLINK, Vol.17Jane Williams,

Collections:
Art Gallery Of Western Australia
Art Bank
University of East Carolina, USA
World Ceramic Exposition Foundation, Korea
National Gallery of Scotland
Seto Cultural Centre, Japan
Art Gallery of South Australia
Art Gallery of Tasmania
Victorian State Craft Collection
Shepparton Regional Gallery
University of South Australia
Cambelltown City Art Gallery