Small Object Spaces: Progressions
SOS @ SLQ | 10 September - 10 December 2026
Artist: Alison McDonald
Medium: Metal and small object design
Location: State Reference Library, Level 2, State Library of Queensland, Stanley Pl, Cultural Precinct. South Brisbane QLD 4101
Small Object Spaces
Centered around intimacy, tactility and the quiet presence of everyday materials, artisan's small object exhibition series brings together Queensland based artists working across textiles, ceramics and object-based practices. Small scale invites us to slow down looking where crafted detail and process hold focus.
Second Iteration
Progressions
The second iteration of Small Object Spaces showcases renowned Townsville-based silversmith Alison McDonald's exquisite metal small objects.
Drawing inspiration from Annie Slade’s 1884 album British Marine Algae (a part of the prestigious C. M. Yonge Collection, James Cook University) sparked a creative dialogue leading to the development of these bowls. McDonald, studying Slade’s pressed seaweed specimens deepened her understanding of both Slade’s pioneering work and the enormous variety of marine algae. The bowl shape references the global significance of seaweed as a potential food source.
Featured works Plate 23 (ii) Griffithsia Corallina vessel (2026), won the 2025 Art for Life Award, Queensland Regional Arts Award.
Artist
Alison McDonald
Alison McDonald’s 20-year practice is based in Townsville, North Queensland. Her art sits at the junction of consumer culture and environmental concern, ranging in size from microscopic jewellery to epic sculpture or installation.
McDonald completed her BVA (Hons) from James Cook University, then a Master of Art in Public Space at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She has also had participated in an artist in residence program at Aberystwyth, UK, through an Arts Queensland Career Development Grant and Red Gate Gallery, Beijing. McDonald taught Sculpture at James Cook University and TAFE North Queensland and has previously toured a solo exhibition ‘Wanton, Wild & Unimagined’ around Australia.
McDonald has exhibited in national and international contexts, including Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi and Strand Ephemera, Townsville. Her work is held in public and private collections including the Royal North Shore Hospital, Visy Education Centre, Perc Tucker Gallery, Townsville City Council’s Integrated Sustainability Services, CQUniversity, Energy Super’s Townsville Office, Monterey Bay Aquarium, California and Stadiums Queensland. In 2025, she won the Art for Life Award, Queensland Regional Arts Awards.
Exhibition Catalogue
Learn more about the exhibited artworks here:
Image Credits
Plate 23 (ii) Griffithsia Corallina vessel, 2026. Hand raised copper (with a hammer from 1mm x 15cm flat disc) then chased with fine silver rim & patina 7.5 x 8 x 8cm. Image courtesy of Alison McDonald.
