Calligraphy – Looking Back, Looking Forward

Calligraphy, Looking Back, Looking Forward, presented by renowned Tasmanian calligrapher Gemma Black will be the next ADFAS leture to be held at The Crossing Theatre on Sunday, June 11.

Lectures are normally held on Monday evenings, but due to the long weekend, the date has been changed to Sunday this month.

Gemma Black  is a calligrapher and text designer based in Canberra.

Starting out small in Australia and with a thirst for life-long learning, Gemma has travelled, studied and taught all over the world for the past thirty-seven years.

Gemma enjoys productive studio time as her repertoire continues to grow.

With an increasing lecture tour program, private works for collections and calligraphic commissions her teaching program has ceased beyond 2023.

Gemma was a recipient of a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship to study in Europe that gave her the opportunity to research, observe and learn the practice of calligraphy.

She is a Fellow of the prestigious Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society, UK.

For over 25-years, Gemma has taught extensively for calligraphy, bookbinding, art & craft organisations around Australia including the Australian National University College.

Gemma has had the good fortune to have taught in Sweden, Italy, Germany, Spain, South Africa, USA, Canada and the UK.

Her work is housed in private and public collections including the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK, the European Parliament and Parliament House Canberra.

Gemma’s work involves lectures, calligraphy for citations, certificates, documents and book inscriptions, book structures, decorative paper techniques and abstract watercolour painting involving lettering.

Beginning with the earliest use of writing systems, this lecture looks at how we developed the art of communication through creating signs, symbols and images.

Gemma will explore the history and development of religious manuscript masterpieces such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells.

Gemma will show work on death and mortuary rolls, on vellum and papyrus, eventually wending the way to paper and digital writing.

Lectures take place in Cinema 1, The Crossing Theatre.

Arrival and greet from 6.30pm ready for a 7pm start. Lecture time is approximately one hour followed by drinks and canapés.