Minaal Lawn (b.1977) embraces the beauty emergent from the discomfort of cultural ambiguity. As an Australian born woman of Indian descent living in Dja Dja Wurrung Country (Glenlyon) in Central Victoria, she navigates the intersections between her inherited culture and the cultural landscape which surrounds her.
Minaal brings to her predominantly ceramic practice a vivid language of colour and the enduring veneration of shape found in traditional Hindu worship culture, harnessing its raw intimacy. She elevates the role of shape beyond mere visual components, interweaving references to temple architecture, idol worship and cultural phenomena to endow her works with symbolic intent.
Through her art, Minaal offers a nuanced translation that explores her graceful interplay of identity, place and the spaces between.
Minaal has held institutional solo shows at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (2022), Castlemaine Art Museum (2021). Commercial solo shows at Stockroom (Kyneton 2023), Craft Victoria (2020), Craft Contemporary (Castlemaine, 2020), ArtBox (Merricks, 2019) among others.
Selected group shows include Mining Memory (La Trobe Project Space 2024, ARI Pop Gallery (2024), Craft Victoria (2023), NGV Melbourne Design Week (Verdant 2024, Flack Studio presentation Open Table 2023, Future Inheritance 2021), CLAD Gallery (Bendigo, 2020) and Daine Singer (Fitzroy, 2019) among others.
Minaal is a Footscray Art Prize (2023), Muswellbrook Art Prize (2022) Clunes Ceramic Awards (2019), The Du Rietz Art Awards (2019), The Wyndham Art Prize (2019), Saint Cloche Gallery (Little Things Art Prize 2018) awards finalist.
In addition to her exhibition practice, she has collaborated with interior design studios, Danielle Brustman (2023), creative director Marsha Golemac (2021), commissioned by Jardan (2022), fashion brands Radical Yes (2019, 2018) Nelson Made (2018). Works are available to purchase through exhibition and via Jardan, Mr Kitly, Stockroom Kyneton, Craft and Castlemaine Art Museum