Winner of 'Asian collections'

'The Pagoda Hat'
Made by Ofelia Diaz during her Papier Maché class at Richmond Adult College

Inspired by…

'I took a picture of a friend with the 'Pagoda' display behind her. This visual image sparked off the inspiration to make 'The Pagoda Hat'. I have also been inspired by 'Everything and Nothing' made by Catherine Bertola as part of the 'Out of the Ordinary, Spectacular Craft' exhibition.' 

Her judges' comment:

This original and striking work was directly inspired by a photograph that the artist took while visiting the Chinese Export Gallery. In the photograph, a friend stands before a tall porcelain pagoda, so that the top of the pagoda appears to rest atop or spring from her head. It was this, somewhat comical, visual illusion which led to the creation of the work. At a glance, the hat is bold and strikingly imaginative. Upon closer inspection, the attention to detail and painstaking methods of construction are apparent. The papier-mâché, a largely underused and undervalued medium, used in the resulting work rivals the precious porcelain which inspired it and strengthens the sense of individuality surrounding this piece.

Judges: Melissa Appel and Amy Mechowski