CUSP is a multidisciplinary collective of artists and creators.
Although diverse in many ways, the members of CUSP have come together to document a transitory period in each of their lives.
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Av De Vries
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I have been a lover of the spotlight ever since I was a child. Growing up I was in every school club, whether I was good at it or not. I discovered early on that I have a passion for public speaking and when I was fifteen, I was introduced to slam poetry. This melded with my new found love for music and I was filling up notebooks faster then I could buy them. This lit the fire I needed to become more involved in the issues of mental health and the rights of LGBTQIA+ community. I started to use my platform as an opportunity to speak about these issues and soon found that this was my creative drive.
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At seventeen I was gifted a camera, and this is where my love for photography sparked, I used this same camera to shoot my CUSP. This camera become the tool I needed to channel my creative frustrations about the world.
Today my creative practice is a mixture of writing and photography and I use these skills to create art focusing on the theme of Queerness.
Clarissa Chawner
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I am a visual artist based in Newcastle, NSW. Art has been a part of my life since I was a child, and my family consistently encouraged my creativity. As a result of this support, I will be completing a Bachelor of Creative Industries at the end of 2021, having majored in Visual Art. I have plans to continue my studies by pursuing Honours in 2022.
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I enjoy experimenting with many different mediums – collage, watercolour, printmaking, textiles. I love exploring colours and textures, and portraying emotions not just through human figures but inanimate objects as well.
Earlier this year, I took a leap and created a website for my portfolio of works, as well as social media accounts where I post updates of my latest projects. My goal is to create an online store where I can sell my artworks – but creating art as gifts for the people I care about will always be my greatest pleasure.
Liz Hurley
I am a dreamer, a facilitator, an observer, a well of ideas, and a do-er. I channel these traits into supporting my own creative expression and in the curation of art exhibitions. This passion comes from a desire to create a brighter environment for myself, other individuals and the community.
As a student of the University of Newcastle I am completing a Bachelor of Creative Industries with a major in visual art management. When I make art for myself I enjoy using photography and drawings to capture my observations of daily life which I tend to expand through fibre art and textiles in an abstract style. On competition of my studies I intend to continue work on my own artistic interests as well as support and grow the artistic community around me.
Nicola Ward
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I am a photo media artist living in Lake Macquarie, NSW. My work usually centres on chance encounters, candid moments and close observation of the everyday. By using a variety of in-camera techniques and contemporary post-production processes, my images are a combination of the abstract and vignettes of everyday encounters.
I have worked as a wedding photographer in the Hunter Valley and provided photographic services at events for Maitland and Lake Macquarie City Councils. I also enjoy printing, collage and drawing. After a gap 'year' that lasted 35, in 2021 I will complete my Bachelor of Creative Industries (Visual Art) at the University of Newcastle. On completion I intend to continue study with a focus on arts administration.
Janaya Ritch
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I am a lover of all things crafty and quirky, theatrical and artsy. Enrolling in a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Creative and Performing Arts) has offered unmatched opportunities of communicating and connecting with various communities through my creative practice of performance and installation art.
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Born and raised on Anaiwan Land (Armidale), I witnessed an increase in natural disasters and their severity, most recently the 2019/2020 bushfires and a three-year long drought which saw the complete loss of water. Over the years, my creative practice – whether that be performances, scriptwriting, digital installations or exhibitions – has been influenced by the physical, mental and emotional hardships that my loved ones and the local community endured due to the undeniable climate crisis.
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After graduation, I aim to continue my interest of coordinating creative projects that encompass the values I share and the topical issues that art can help unveil to varying audiences.
Elizabeth Blaxland
My love for all things creative grew from my childhood experiences of growing up engrossed in the Newcastle theatre community. Throughout my life, in one way or another, I found a creative outlet to express myself. Undertaking my Bachelor of Creative Industries, majoring in Creative and Performing Arts, has helped to increase both my knowledge and love for the creative industries.
Over the past seven years, I have also worked as a stage manager for many theatre companies around Newcastle and Lake Macquarie; this was a major factor in building my passion for creative producing. Throughout my degree, I have been able to expand on this passion, learning about the ins and outs of the creative industries, and how important roles like this are in society.
Being able to work with my peers to create works of art, installations and interactive performances has been a valuable experience.
