Avi Amesbury(Australia) received a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Ceramics), with Honours from the Australian National University (ANU) School of Art in 2002. She was awarded a scholarship in 2000 through the ANU International Exchange Program and undertook studies at Hong-Ik University in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Her work has won a number of awards in Australia and has been selected for national and international exhibitions including Ceramica Multiplex, the Sidney Myer Fund International Ceramic Award and the Gold Coast International Ceramics Award, and was presented at the 2007 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Conference in the United States and at the New Craft Future Voices International Craft Conference in Scotland. Her work has been acquired for the permanent collections of the Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery and the Townville Regional Gallery and is in private collections in Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United States of America.
As CEO/Artistic Director of Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre (2010-2016) her contribution to the contemporary craft and design movement in Australia included Founder and Artistic Director of the national festival of design, DESIGN Canberra; chairing and the overall management of the international ceramics conference, Stepping Up: The Australian Ceramics Triennale; and managing the premium Australian forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fibre and textile, Selling Yarns.
Amesbury initiated and oversaw the survey exhibition of iconic Australian ceramic artist, Janet DeBoos: A Survey and the series of annual exhibitions, Embracing Innovations, highlighting practice-led research in craft and design. She has curated a number of exhibitions including Essence of structure, an ANU Alumni exhibition; Smoke Free Zone, held in association with the Australian Gundaroo Woodfire Conference; Impact, a survey exhibition of Canberra and region artists presented at Verge: 11th National Ceramics Conference; and co-curated Valency: Combining creative processes presented as part of the Australian National Science Week Festival.
