Explore the Colour Me exhibition at the State Library of Western Australia
Kids and parents can help create a rainbow collage as part of a new exhibition at the State Library of Western Australia’s Story Place Gallery this month.
The exhibition celebrates Colour Me, a new picture book written by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and illustrated by Moira Court, with the original hand-printed illustrations, their carved wood and linoleum plates and preparatory drawings on display until 16 August 2017.
Colour Me features rhythmic prose and bright blocks of colour, and uses the rainbow as a metaphor for diversity and uniqueness. Author Ezekiel Kwaymullina said the inspiration for the book came from his friends, who have all migrated to Australia from different parts of the world. Speaking to The West Australian earlier this year, he said:
‘We’ve got all these differences and yet we’re all friends and fit together really well, so that’s where the idea came from. How do you break that down in a really simple way for a kid? The most obvious way is colour because a kid can look at it and go “OK, red’s different from blue”, but if you have a blue sky with bits of pink and red in a sunset it still fits.’
Each illustration in the book is made from layers of silk-screen prints using hand-cut paper stencils and transparent ink topped off with a patchy, textural woodcut or linoleum print. Blocks of similar colour are overlapped to achieve the layered transparent effect of rainbow light. Artist Moira Court said she enjoyed the hands-on process of cutting and carving the prints, as well as the element of surprise in the final work.
We’re inviting kids to get involved by creating a rainbow collage. Download a set of rainbow postcards here, click on your favourite character below, or collect one at the library, colour it in and pin it to the exhibition rainbow. The Colour Me exhibition is open from 26 July to 16 August at the State Library of Western Australia.
Can’t make it to the exhibition but want to be involved? We have class sets of the Colour Me teaching activity available now. Just email admin@fremantlepress.com.au with the number required and your school’s address. While stocks last.
