By Casey Neill
Artist Leanne Failla spent nine months creating miniature paper replicas of every object in her house.
Her work is on display with a collection from fellow artist Llawella Lewis at Heritage Hill’s Benga House in Dandenong until 15 April.
Ms Lewis used drafting film to create small ceiling roses and other decorative features from around the home.
“The inspiration is from interior architectural details from the houses that I live in now or have lived in throughout my life,” she said.
“One of the works is a pattern from my carpets where I live now.
“One is from the screen door, which is actually really common in Australia houses.”
She took inspiration for an art deco ceiling panel from her childhood bedroom.
“It was removed with renovation,” she said.
Ms Lewis tried to track down the design, and recreated it from research and memory.
“They’re recreated in a different scale often,” she said.
“They’re made out of drafting film and they’re all cut, folded and sewn together.
“The process I use relates to domesticity as well.”
She was approached about exhibiting alongside Ms Failla and could see the connection between their works.
Ms Lewis also welcomed the chance to exhibit in Benga House, which was originally a home.
“It was quite a nice connection to the work,” she said.
“It was nice to see the work in a more domestic-like environment.
“And I grew up in the suburbs.
“I think it’s nice to exhibit a work that is really based on suburbia in the suburbs, not necessarily in the city.”
Ms Failla said a lot of her work was about events.
“I like to explore how an object is involved in making events happen,” she said.
“With this work it was about trying to create equalisation of all of the objects in my house, that’s why they’re all at the same scale.
“They’re all the same watercolour stock.”
She teased out the concept but didn’t quite achieve her initial aim.
“I read some of them as being more important than others,” she said.
“We put a lot of our own memories and things into these objects and how it is that they’re important in our lives.
“It makes you think about what it is that we sacrifice to have a lot of stuff around us I guess.”
