My recent work is derived from the funeral traditions of Southern Italians, and comments on the declining cultural practices of Southern Italians in Australia. Mostly the work has been constructed from metal and wax, and takes shape in a commemorative format that uses performative Catholic religious objects such as rosaries as a starting point to memorialise lost traditions. 

As an extension of this, the three dimensional work and research now looks specifically at women’s ritual lamentation practices in the Southern Mediterranean region and the way expressions of anguish can be expressed through form. Current work is concerned with Southern Italian Catholic women’s ritual laments, iconography as an imitation model for Italian Catholic lamentation rituals, the use of devotional objects during grieving acts, as well as the words and sounds voiced in lamentation.

Susanna Strati, Camperdown, Australia.


Education:
2009 University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts, PHD (Candidate).
2007 University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts, Masters of Fine Arts Research
1995 University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts, Master of Art – Media Arts.
1990 University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts. 

Collections:
Private Collections both National & International
University New South Wales, Cofa

Awards:
Australia Council Professional development grant, Central and Southern Italy | Australian Post Graduate Award, University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts | Faculty TopUp Scholarship, University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts | Australia Council Professional development grant, Rome Studio Residency | Alumni Award, University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts | House of Jewellery Award, University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts | Thompson's Silvercraft Award, University New South Wales, College of Fine Arts. 

Solo Exhibitions:
2007 In Black, Kudos Gallery, College of Fine Art, UNSW
2005 In Black, MOP Projects, Redfern
2000 Implements, Bulle Galleries, Melbourne
1998 Implements, Object Gallery, Customs House, Centre for Contemporary Craft, NSW.
1996 Sculptural Installation, Particle Gallery, Sydney.

Group Exhibitions:
2011 Sculpture 2011 Brenda May Gallery, Sydney
2010 Sculpture 2010 Brenda May Gallery, Sydney
2009 Il Rumore del Lutto, la Camera di Commercio di Parma, Parma, Italy
2008 Fishers Ghost National Art Award - Finalist, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown | Blake Religious Prize - Finalist, National Art School gallery, Sydney | Memory in Art and the Memento Mori, Brenda May Gallery, Sydney | Il Rumore del Lutto - Assenza, Ratafià di Europa Teatri, Parma, Italy | Contained, Kudos Gallery, Cofa, UNSW
2006 Australia Council for the Arts Studio Residency Recipients from New South Wales, 1990 – 2005, Australia Council for the arts Sydney | Post it: an exquisite corpse mail art project, Peloton Gallery, Sydney | Sighting the Past, Macleay Museum, University of Sydney
2005 Plural 3, British School at Rome, Roma, Italy
2004 Can Do Masters Students Exhibition, Cofa Gallery
2003 In Adornment, MOP Gallery, Redfern
2002 Masters Students Exhibition, Cofa Gallery,
2001 S.G.K. Bye (Staphlex) Pier - Pyrmont Artist Group, Tin Sheds Gallery Sydney
1999 Strip Show, Pier - Pyrmont Artist Group, Blue Room, Newtown
1997 Pier - Pyrmont Artist Group, Nelson Street Gallery, Sydney | Contemporary Wearables, Toowoomba Art Gallery, Touring Australian Regional Galleries | Four Ways, Quadrivium, Sydney
1996 Pieces of Eight, Particle Gallery, Sydney
1995 Ceremony, Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney | UpFront, The Door Exhibition Space, Freemantle
1994 Ring, Schmuck Gallery, Sydney
1993/4 The Second Contemporary Jewellery Australian Biennial Exhibition, The Jam Factory, Adelaide
1993 Sight Regained - Tribute to Fred Hollows, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney | Contemporary Wearables, Toowoomba Art Gallery, Touring QLD and NSW Regional Galleries | 4 Elements, Blaxland Gallery, Sydney
1992 Alumni Exhibition, COFA Gallery, Sydney | Graduate Metal IV, New Collectibles Gallery, Freemantle | Fathoming, Bondi Pavilion, Sydney | National Craft Acquisition Award Exhibition, Museum of Arts & Sciences, Darwin
1991 AirLooms, Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney | Telecom Fine Arts Scholarships Award Exhibition, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney | Amulet Exhibition, Contemporary Jewellery Gallery, Sydney
1990 Graduating students exhibition, COFA gallery, College of Fine Arts | XMAS Exhibition, Contemporary Jewellery Gallery, Sydney
1988 Astarte, Arthaus Gallery Sydney 

Memberships:
National Association for the Visual Arts 

Employment:
2001-Present, Lecturer, Jewellery & Object Design, College of Fine Arts University of New South Wales
2002 Acting Jewellery & Object Design Co-ordinator, College of Fine Arts University of New South Wales
2002-05 Teacher, Jewellery & Object Design Enmore Design Centre (Applied Design Methods, Design Processes and Professional practice).
1992-93 Part – time Teacher, Mosman Evening College.
1996 Artist in Residence, Presbyterian Ladies College, Croydon

Professional Activities:
2010/11/12 Italian Advanced, Dante Alighieri Society, Sydeny
2009 Parliamo Insieme, Italian Advanced Conversation, Continuing Education, Sydney University | Italian Advanced Conversation, Co.As.It., the Italian Association of Assistance, Leichhardt
2007 Honours External Examiner, University of Sydney, Sydney College of the Arts | 
2007/8 Italian Level 3,4,5,6,7 Certificates, Continuing Education, Sydney University
2005 Italian Certificate 2, OTEN, TAFE N.S.W
2004 Introduction to Welding, Staff & Learning Development S.I.T. Enmore Design Centre
2003 JMGA Bonny Doon Engineering Hydraulic Press Workshop
1996-2001 Coordinator, Bay 12 Pier – Pier, Pyrmont Artists Space, Pyrmont and Erskineville
1997 University of Technology Sydney, Graduate Diploma Vocational Education & Training (Completed 1yr)
1995,6,7 Secretary, Jewellers Metalsmith Group of Australia NSW Inc
1996 Coordinator, Pieces of Eight, Particle Gallery, Sydney
1994-95 Exhibition Coordinator, Jewellers Metalsmith Group of Australia NSW Inc. Biennial Exhibition - Ceremony
1991 Set-up studio

2008 Oltre magazine, Ottobre, 2008, Periodico di informazione dell’imprenditoria funeraria e cimiteriale, “Il Rumore del Lutto”, Roberto Valli | Shopping poster magazine #4, Roma, Italy
2006 'Sighting the past' Catalogue, University of Sydney | University Museums Newsletter Feb Issue 2006, Jude Philp | TAFTA Vol25 (2) No.82, 2006 | Museum and Galleries NSW (MGNSW) issue 2,Jewel Purpose, Lyndell Wischer, 2006 | Antiques and Collectables, Feb – Aug, 'Sighting the past' by Jullian Holland
2005 Critics Pic. Sydney Morning Herald, March 2005
2004 British School at Rome Catalogue 2003 - 2004
1988 Sydney Morning Herald, Arts review, 19/8/98 pg. 15/ John McPhee | The Australian Weekender, Review, 15/8/98, Giles Auty | Object, No. 2/1998
1997 Contemporary Wearables Exhibition Catalogue, Toowoomba Art Gallery | Lemel, Winter, 1996. Lemel, Autumn
1996. Lemel, Autumn, 1995. Lemel, Winter
1995. Craft Arts International, Issue 31
1994. Adelaide Review, Feb. | Lemel, Summer, 1993/4
1993. Contemporary Wearables Exhibition Catalogue, Toowoomba Art Gallery | Second Contemporary Jewellery Australian Biennial Exhibition Catalogue
1991. Vogue Living, August 1991 | Craft Arts International, Issue 22/1991
1990 Craft Arts International, Issue 17/1990


Website articles
Oltre magazine, October, 2008, www.oltremagazine.com/index.html?id_articolo=1408
Cofa Staff Highlights, www.cofa.unsw.edu.au/staff/news/news_0039.html
Cofa News and Events, www.cofa.unsw.edu.au/newsevents/events/event_0169.html
Macleay Museum Sydney University 2005-6 Sighting the Past: 4 jewellers respond to the Macleay Museums collections www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=863
www.lobue-art.com/strati.html
www.dexigner.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=5172  by unnamed writer SMH Domain section 9.3.2006
Craft Australia Feb 2006 L.Wischer (www.craftaustralia.com.au/articles/20060228.php)
Craft Australia Website, www.craftaustralia.com.au/articles/20060228.php, April 2006, Lyndell Wischer, Feb. 2006
Craft Australia Website, www.craftaustralia.com.au /716/, April 2006, (images of work from Sighting the Past 2006)
The University of Sydney, www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newscategoryid=6&newsstoryid=863, News and Events, Jan 2006
www.bsr.ac.uk/ENG/sub_news/BSR_News_exhibition_Plural3.htm, The British School at Rome, News and Events, June 2005