ROWENA HANNAN

SPACE 1

Exhibition dates : 28 July - 9 Aug 2026
Opening reception : Wed 29 July 2026, 6:00 - 8:30pm

The haunting sound of gumtrees knocking lazily against each other as the unseen move through the forest. Their presence is felt like water particles floating in the air creating a whispering echo on the foliage. From the beginning of time, these mythical creatures stand in defiance as protectors of the natural world. Hidden from the human eye, Dryads keep watch and lay waiting as old growth forest disappears. They are both warriors and nurturers moving across the forest floor giving breath to the lungs of a troubled earth. Dryads bring life to what seems lost while providing havens for creatures that have lost their habitat due to the fallibility of humanity.

Rowena Hannan has been working as a practicing ceramic artist and teacher for over thirty years. Focusing largely on figurative sculpture, she has exhibited in both solo and group shows throughout this period along with the completion of some large public sculptures which have allowed her to explore a range of other materials beyond clay, such as concrete, bronze and steel. Throughout her years of artistic practice, she is constantly drawn to the narrative in her concepts, and these encompass her love of personal history and storytelling. Rowena taught Visual arts at Firbank Grammar from 1997- 2019 and was Head of Art for 8 years. She was also Head of Visual Arts Korowa Anglican Girls’ School from 2020- 2023. She is now working full time on her art practice. Rowena has been a VCE reviewer of folios around the state of Victoria and has delivered art education papers internationally. In 2019, she was an artist in residence in Vallauris, in the South of France and in Barcelona in 2025. Rowena is a co-author of an award winning VCE textbook for Studio Arts, ‘Artisan’ published by Cambridge Press.