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Carla Wherby
Carla Wherby, Women in War series, 2010.
Carla Wherby holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the College of Fine Arts, UNSW (formerly the City Art Institute).
Moving to Auburn in 2007, Wherby was inspired to begin creating again after a hiatus of 20 years from the art world.
Wherby’s home suburb in Sydney’s west fuels her interest in representing social and political issues through her work. She enjoys observing and drawing people in her multicultural community, which includes a high population of refugees. Her passion for minority groups that face injustice is obvious in her detailed depiction of the way in which women’s everyday lives are affected by military conflict in her Women and War series.
In Women and War, Carla draws attention to the way in which women become victims of war, frequently as innocent civilians. But the series is also a celebration of the women’s contributions which are often forgotten, such as the role of the Australian Womens’ Land Army. Carla’s compassion for the plight of these women is grounded in the research she has undertaken on the topic, focusing particularly on women taking on traditionally masculine roles and responsibilities. Wherby explains that ‘[a]s I have a mental illness I am also interested in the psychological effects of war on those who served their country and the families that they left behind.’
Describing herself as a ‘google artist’ whose prolific internet research enriches her work, her drawings also reference pop art, music and culture. Carla gains her material from looking at online images, books in op shops and library sales as well as sketching people in the city centre.
She has had joint exhibitions at the Bondi Pavillion gallery and Auburn Peacock Gallery with her twin sister Lisa. She has also been awarded a mentorship with Penrith Regional Gallery which resulted in a joint drawing exhibition and is the recipient of a number of prizes, including first place in the Auburn Mayoral Art Prize.
Written By Helen Machalias AART.BOXX committee 2011
Read an interview with Carla Wherby.