BORN

1992  Sydney, Australia

STUDIES

2022 – Bachelor of Fine Art (Ceramics), National Art School

2012 – Advanced Diploma, Design in Live Theatre, Entertainment and Events, Enmore TAFE

2010 – Certificate IV, Design, Enmore TAFE

ARTIST STATEMENT

Olivia Elaine Tahan has a sculpture-based practice, working primarily in ceramics. Her work is inspired by her passion for the natural world, exploring themes of beauty, love, and loss. In response to climate change, Olivia handcrafts intricate sculptural light forms that emulate bleached coral, portraying how just one degree can make a devastating difference.

Olivia has travelled throughout Australia and Canada, from coral reefs to glacial landscapes, witnessing first-hand the effects of climate change. Taking inspiration from coral and repetitive patterns in nature, Olivia places her focus on the intricacies of form and mark-making to show signs of life whilst keeping her colour palette quite limited to echo the opposite. She works in mid-fire porcelain for its luminosity and poetic qualities, and more importantly to minimize her ecological footprint as a ceramicist. Through her work, she hopes to spark curiosity and gently spread awareness of this contemporary topic.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023 – February – Harvey Galleries/ NAS Group Show

2022 – December – Grad Show, National Art School

2022 – July – Natural Haptics, A Ceramic Art Exhibition. Stairwell Gallery, National Art School

2021 – March -Drawing Week Exhibition, Rayner Hoff Space, National Art School