Ghar Aana: Coming Home - Sarra Tzijan

Ghar Aana: Coming Home exhibits pieces from the development of work made during a residency at Devrai Art Village in Panchgani, India. Time spent there focused on Dhokra: one of the earliest known techniques of lost-wax metal casting.

The Dhokra process looks at dynamics of village life and collective making. The development of this work relies on the involvement of others to create what I see as a successful outcome. Traditionally Dhokra artists work in a community where making is naturally collaborative: a communal effort rather than a solo journey. Hand skills are passed down through families and the village adopts Dhokra as a lifestyle. Although each artist has creative control over their work, others will take on roles of casting, making moulds, tools or producing smaller components.

Each of these Village Vessels undergoes a sequence of steps that requires patience and care. Each is the work of many people and therefore embodies their stories also. The vessels are sculpted by me, cast by a local bronze artist and developed in collaboration with JamFactory’s glass studio practitioners. The resulting finished vessel is an analogy to my heritage. In the creation of this work, it reveals ways to understand myself and my place. 

Sarra Tzijan is an Indian/Australian artist, originally from Naarm/Melbourne, currently based on Kaurna country in Tarntanya/Adelaide. During early education Tzijan focused on drawing, design and illustration. In 2014 she completed a degree in Communication Design (RMIT) refining her work on paper. In 2016 she completed an Advanced Diploma of Object and Jewellery Design (Melbourne Polytechnic) and began combining her drawings with three-dimensional objects. In 2018 she re-located to Adelaide to undertake an associateship at JamFactory in the metal studio where she’s currently a tenant. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and has been the recipient of state and federal funding.

Tzijan has been a finalist in the Victorian Craft Awards, Contemporary Wearables (2021) and the New Taipei City International Metal Crafts Competition (2021). Early 2022, she had her second solo exhibition at JamFactory. Upcoming in 2022, she will exhibit in Profile at Australian Design Centre and hold her solo exhibition Stanley Street Gallery. Alongside her practice, Tzijan works with and for Aboriginal art centres providing support in studio management, professional development and skill sharing.