Counterpoints Sculpture

Recently awarded 'the Luminary' accolade for her contribution to the creative sector in the Indo-Pacific region, Dr. Penelope Forlano’s work is grounded in contemporary political, social and environmental issues. This includes working with communities to elevate forgotten or suppressed voices, history, or environment. Her work is driven by a desire to evoke custodianship to challenge contemporary consumption practices through art and design. Her PhD examined the relationships to emotionally enduring public and private artefacts through a design anthropology approach. From furniture that evokes kinship memories, to public art that act as ‘community heirlooms’ reconnecting people to the past whilst looking forward to the future, her works aim to a evoke a person-object relationship of care, be it for the natural or man-made. She has over 20 years of practice as an award-winning artist, furniture, and interior designer. Her work has been exhibited widely including at 100% Design (London), CraftACT, The John Curtin Gallery, FORM, ECU, the Parliament of Western Australia and a solo show at the esteemed Salone Satellite - Milan International Furniture Fair in 2004. She received the prestigious Australian Design Award (2006), and in 2011 her ‘Terrain’ table was acquired for permanent collection by the Art Gallery of WA. She has completed multiple public artworks for private and government bodies up to $500,000 AUD.