Exhibitions & Curatorial projects

A collage series responding to historic stories of queer people in 19th century Victorian papers.

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An Old School Activism work for We Are Here, an exhibition by trans and gender diverse people at TBH Studio in Ballarat

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During the pandemic, I stopped working on projects for a while.


2020 - 2022

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An exhibition of soft sculpture works inspired by Melbourne’s street art


2015

Knitted octopus inspired by Putos (right)

Soft sculpture inspired by Astrotwitch (right)

A short term, curated Artist in Residence program for the atrium in Federation Square curated by Sayraphim Lothian. Artists were invited to move their studio inside the Atrium, creating work in full view of visitors to Federation Square.

2013

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A month long stealthy yarn bomb of the NGV Studio in Melbourne.

Rockford yarn bomb in the National Gallery of Victoria Studio space for Freeplay's Game/Play.

Rockford was the main character in the C64 game Boulderdash.


2011

Pacman (Sneak Attack)

Pacman yarn bomb in the National Gallery of Victoria Studio space for Freeplay's Game/Play.

Rampage closeup (Sneak Attack)

Rampage yarn bomb in the National Gallery of Victoria Studio space for Freeplay's Game/Play.

 Rampage was a C64 game released in 1985. As a giant lizard, ape or werewolf, you climed up building and bashed at them to discover the treats behind the glass.

Not everything was good to eat though. The poison bottle and the cactus were two to stay away from.

4 hours. 6 Performers. 7 Cameras. 500 shots. 1379 words. 8 digitally manipulated images. 60 cross-processed photos. A burlesque show like no other at The Kitten Club, Melbourne.

Exhibition by Sayraphim Lothian

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Insolitus Angelus (Strange Angel) was a piece created for the exhibition "Google Me This", curated by Carmen Reid and Elyss McCleary.

(From the exhibition documentation)

“Google Me This” is an exhibition of interpretive portraits that uses Google to construct the identity of each artists name. It is aimed at artists who touch on portraiture, identity or fictional representations of character within their practice, inviting the use of different mediums including drawing, sculpture, sound, video, photography, music and costume. The show is an opportunity to make a one-off work outside of your usual practice by exploiting that narcissistic urge to explore your online identity.

 To produce a work for the show, each participant is asked to follow the same basic set of guidelines that takes the artist’s name as the basis of an identity for a “self-portrait”;

1. Using the Google search-engine, the starting point is to conduct an online search of your own (first and last) name.

 2. Choose 1 or more search result/s that do not refer to yourself and your identity as an artist.

 3. The idea is to then create a portrait that interprets the unique qualities and personality of that identity based on the information available online via the Google search.

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Owl in Bookcase, 2010 (12 artists)
A foyer exhibition held as part of Terrible Comfort's Halloween puppet show Owl in Spotlight (how Dort taught the house to behave) at the Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne.

Owl in Bookcase
General shot of the exhibition

Owl in Bookcase - Trick or Treat suitcase

Echo’s Lost – Exploring the fragile nature of memory
“Echo’s Lost focuses on the idea of memory and the spaces left behind when the memories fade. Presented in an antique cabinet in the window of Circa Vintage Clothing, Echo’s Lost is a poignant exploration of memory and its inevitable decay.”

Curated by Sayraphim Lothian

Totem: Dolls with Souls
General shot of the exhibition

Totem: Dolls with Souls
General shot of the exhibition

Totem: Dolls with Souls Totem is a collection of dolls created by artists to reflect how they truly feel themselves to be. These dolls are more than just simple childrens toys, they are powerful symbols of who we think we are, the internal workings of the human mind given form and are honest, hearfelt expressions of self.

Curated by Sayraphim Lothian

Totem: Dolls with Souls
General shot of the exhibition

Totem: Dolls with Souls
General shot of the exhibition

A Minor Collection of Unnatural History is an exhibition curated by Sayraphim Lothian, dedicated to the search and discovery of animals believed to be in existence but rarely sighted. These animals (usually referred to as monsters) have been cleverly discovered then delicately documented by digital artist Sayraphim Lothian and graphic artist Benj Dawe.

A Minor Collection of Unnatural History also had a book published as part of the exhibition. You can find more information about that here.

2007

A Minor Collection of Unnatural History:
(left to right) Gurnsmort by Jessica Ngaio, Cryptoscope by Sayraphim Lothian, From Weird Uncle Al by Roslyn Quin, digital artwork by Sayraphim Lothian and Benj Dawe

A Minor Collection of Unnatural History:
(left to right) (mantlepiece) Va Kume, Pretty Little Toxin, As Fashion Dictates and Call by Roslyn Quin, (in the fireplace) Black Polly by Ilona Nelson, Synbasium by Madeline & David Hoxley, digital artwork by Sayraphim Lothian and Benj Dawe

21 Dead Bugs as a Gift brings together a diverse selection of artists in many genres for a unique cross platform project. Drawing on some of the incredible talent based in Melbourne, Omnific Assembly presents one project in three collaborative parts, an album, a zine and an exhibition, of artistic responses to the phrase 21 Dead Bugs as a Gift.

Curated by Sayraphim Lothian

21 Dead Bugs as a Gift:
(left to right) Mounted photos (top) by Melody Henderson, painting (middle) by Samantha Nelson, unframed photos (bottom) by Anna Jacobs, framed paintings by Jaz, unframed drawing by Chris Serong, sculpture (bottom) by Sayraphim Lothian, stencils on canvas by Johanna Benedict, framed photograph by Rebecca Miller, freeform drawings by Jessica Mcphee, installation by Richard Keddell, Jay Reyner, Dida and Ella Misso

21 Dead Bugs as a Gift:
21 Dead Bugs pack of album and zine for sale

Roll up, roll up, come see three takes on freaks, sideshows and Dirty Wonderlands.

Omnific Assembly presents Dirty Wonderland, an exhibition of photographs and curiosities by Soncha Iacono, Ilona Nelson and Sayraphim Lothian at Vanguard Gallery, 234 High St, Northcote.

Dirty Wonderland
The sideshow is never what it seems…

The Dust Witch (hanging marionette by Sayraphim Lothian) and various works by Ilona, Sayraphim, Soncha and Robert Reid behind.

Left, Bitch (Roaring Boy mask created for All of Which are American Dreams by Soncha Iacono), right Sleep 1 and Sleep 2(Roaring Boy masks created for All of Which are American Dreams by Robert Reid, on loan from the theatre in decay collection) and various works by Ilona, Sayraphim and Soncha behind.

Dancing With Strangers in conjunction with Omnific Assembly present The Attic of Dorian Gray an exhibition of new works by local artists for the Fringe production of Art Murder, Pictures of Dorian Gray. 

Illustrating the excesses of the aristocracy and the decaying nature of Dorian Gray himself, the exhibition encompasses drawing, sculpture, photography, found object art, installation and costuming, all displayed in the space of Dorian's attic.

Curated by Sayraphim Lothian

The Attic of Dorian Gray:
Sootie (hanging mannequin, forground), SaraMae Belle (background left) and Marlo Spikin (background right)

The Attic of Dorian Gray:
Sootie (hanging mannequin, right), Boyd Synnott (framed, background), Sayraphim Lothian (hanging middle ground), Boyd Synnott (framed, foreground)