Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop Celebrates Forty Years is a major touring exhibition developed by JamFactory, marking the 40th anniversary of Gray Street Workshop, one of Australia’s longest-running collectively run studios for contemporary jewellery and object-making.
Bringing together new work by current partners Jess Dare, Lisa Furno, Sue Lorraine and Catherine Truman, the exhibition is the culmination of two years of research and creative development. Witty, playful and poignant, the works explore shared themes through distinctly individual artistic approaches, reflecting the workshop’s collaborative philosophy of working “separately together”.
Established in 1985, Gray Street Workshop has become one of Australia’s most respected centres for contemporary jewellery practice. Beautiful Tensions celebrates the enduring value of making, the power of objects to carry meaning, and the remarkable legacy of a studio that has shaped generations of Australian artists.
Presented at Bunjil Place Gallery, this free exhibition runs from 24 September to 15 November 2026.
Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop celebrates forty years is a JamFactory touring exhibition supported by the Visions of Australia touring program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to cultural material for all Australians.
Image captions:
1. Installation view: ‘Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop Celebrates Forty Years’, Bunjil Place Gallery, 2026 featuring Jess Dare, ‘Impermanence’ 2024 (detail). Photo: Christian Capurro
2. Installation view: ‘Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop Celebrates Forty Years’, Bunjil Place Gallery, 2026 featuring Jess Dare ‘Traces of Forever’ 2024. Photo: Christian Capurro
3. installation view: ‘Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop Celebrates Forty Years’, Bunjil Place Gallery, 2026 featuring Catherine Truman. Photo: Christian Capurro
4. Installation view: ‘Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop Celebrates Forty Years’, Bunjil Place Gallery, 2026. Photo: Christian Capurro
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