Olive Gill-Hille
Perth-born multidisciplinary maker and designer, Olive Gill-Hille blends the worlds between art and function with her otherworldly timber sculptures.
Words: Holly Terry I Photography: Emma Pegrum, Lajos Varga & Olive Gill-Hille
Olive Gill-Hille in her studio. Photo: Emma Pegrum
Figures – two functional artworks/stools made from Paulownia timber. Photo: Olive Gill-Hille
Olive Gill-Hille at work in her studio, angle grinding. Photo: Emma Pegrum
Form – made from reclaimed, burnt Western Australian Sheoak. Currently on show at the Powerhouse Museum. Photo: Olive Gill-Hille
‘It’s such a known material, it’s a texture and touch that we all recognise and there is something very warm and inviting about wood,’ Olive Gill-Hille. Photo: Olive Gill-Hille
Having spent six years in Melbourne where she studied fine art at the Victorian College of the Arts as well as Furniture Design at RMIT, sculptor and designer Olive Gill-Hille pays homage to the conversations, collaborations, friendships and working relationships she has made throughout her career as having shaped the maker she is today.
‘As an artist you spend so much time in solitude, and while that has been crucial to my practice, some of the biggest lightbulb moments or transformations have come about through conversation,’ she says. These days, Olive has made Western Australia her home, lapping up the vast surrounds and landscapes to inform her direction.
Much like her finished product, Olive’s process is fluid and adaptive, ‘My approach to my designs and artworks depends on exactly what it is I’m making,’ say Olives.
At times, the maker begins organically, sourcing fallen timber and working around a particular piece of wood, letting the natural grain guide the shape. In contrast, Olive can also begin with an idea, producing watercolours and sketches which form a plan, working more like a carpenter – dressing timber, sawing, gluing, joining and sanding.
The human body, relationships and life cycles, excite Olive, and seem to effortlessly bleed into the narrative of her work. ‘I want to make work that is true to my experience on this planet, it has to speak to what I’ve learned and my context as an artist and what is important to me, but I think a lot of my experiences and where the root of my practice lies resonates with a lot of other people too”.
Form – made from reclaimed, burnt Western Australian Sheoak. Currently on show at the Powerhouse Museum. Photo: Olive Gill-Hille
“It’s such a known material, it’s a texture and touch that we all recognise and there is something very warm and inviting about wood.”
Ebonised Jarrah coffee table pictured in the studio. Photo: Lajos Varga
Narrative also forms a big part of Olive’s practice. Carefully, she explains that narrative could form based on where the timber comes from or how it is sourced.
Mostly, Olive is interested in the integrative nature of her pieces. ‘I love the idea that as an item of furniture the narrative of the piece continues after it has been placed into someone’s home or space, how it is interacted with beyond creation or exhibition and how the human body may become a part of the artwork.’
Represented by Sally Dan–Cuthbert Gallery in Sydney, her most recent show, TRUNK marked a specific maturation and confidence in her practice. ‘[I am] realising more and more people have an understanding and respect for this evolutionary space,’ she says.
‘There was a time a few years ago where I thought that labelling my practice as [either furniture design or art] was important, but now as Australia has more artists and designers working within the realms of functional art it means we are able to play and explore and we don’t have to be as restrictive with what to call ourselves.’
Currently, Olive is preparing for a busy 2024, with a second solo show at Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert later in the year.
‘I am taking a moment to think, go for walks and swims, draw for a few hours and then usually spend the afternoon testing out new shapes and processes at the studio.’